Lessons from Old Testament Women #2

     If you've read through my The One Year Devotions for Girls Starring Women of the Bible devo, then you've already read this. But it's a good lesson anyway. (And if you get the book, there are 364 more to read!)

God Has a Special Plan Just for You

     For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

     Trust in the Lord with all your heart;  do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6

     Just as God created you to be unique and special (see Sept 18), he also has a special plan tailor-made for you. Sometimes it's easy to fall into the trap of being and doing what everyone else is doing--or doing what others think you should do, not what you really want to do. It's important to look for God's plan for you and follow it rather than copying what others are doing. Each person's plan is different. Think of the plans he had for the Old Testament women.

• God created Eve to be the mother of all living things. No one else could do that job.
• God planned for Mrs. Noah to be the one who, along with her husband, stepped out in faith and saved her family. She led her family into a new world after the flood.
• God planned for Sarah to be the mother of the child who would fulfill God's promises to Abraham.
• God planned for Puah and Shiphrah to be in the right place at the right time to spare many Israelite baby boys.
• God chose for Jochebed to save her young son who would live in Pharaoh's palace and lead his people out of bondage.
• God planned for Ruth to go to a foreign country and be part of Jesus' family tree.
• God put Esther in the right place at the right time to save her people.

     These are only a few examples of the plans God had for each of the Old Testament women we've read about. He has an equally wonderful plan for you. It doesn't matter to God if you're popular at school, or a super brain. It doesn't matter if your parents are rich and influential or if you're being raised by a single mom or a grandparent. God's plan is designed just for you, and you are the only one who can fulfill it.

     Ask God to guide you each day and be willing to do the things he asks you to do. As you read your Bible, look for God's instructions to you. Listen to his voice speaking to your heart, and he will keep you on the right path to fulfill his plan for you.

Thinking it Through

     Read Proverbs 3:5-6. What does it mean for you today?

    Ask God to show you his plan for you today and follow as he guides you through his Word and his Spirit speaking to your heart.

Look for this book at your local Christian bookstore to read about more women of the Bible.