“Karen’s Notes!
Insights from a Glory-Bound Lady”

Volume 7 Number 27 Post #323 “That Changed Our Plans!”
July 3rd, 2024

I was looking through several of Karen’s Notebooks that she kept near her Bible in which she took notes of the sermons that I preached. I love how she dated the message, wrote down the outline and then wrote personal notes to herself. It was a busy time of administrative work during the week at Baptist Church Planters and then we traveled on the weekends where I would be speaking. This was the travel plans for the first few weeks of October 2010.

October 3rd First Baptist Church of Elyria, Ohio
October 10th First Baptist Church of Holland, New York
October 17th Bible Baptist Church of Rantoul, Illinois.

I would speak three times at Rantoul. Let me share a few notes from Karen’s Notebook about the message and then the wonderful opportunity that the Lord gave us to trust His plan!

From Karen’s notebook:

The message title: “The Servant’s Way”
The message text: Psalm 25
The message outline:

1. David’s prayer. “Show me Thy ways, O LORD; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth” (Psalm 25:4-5a). Show me by making it clear, train or disciple me in the way You would have me go, I need Your direction so I will trust You to guide me is the way that David prayed.

2. David’s perception. “Remember, O LORD, Thy tender mercies and Thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been of old. Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will He teach sinners in the way” (Psalm 25:6, 8). David was rejoicing in the tender mercies and lovingkindness of the Lord. This speaks of the special love of one who is cherished and to whom the Lord is loyally kind. God is good. He is beautifully right in all that He does because He is upright, perfect and holy is our Lord.

3. David’s power. “What man is he that feareth the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way that He shall choose” (Psalm 25:12). Though David ruled as the anointed King of Israel, he understood that the real power for living is in the fear of the Lord.

From our experience. We had a grand time with the dear church family at Rantoul. Just as I was concluding the third session, suddenly my L3/4 disc in my back herniated. We were over 400 miles from home, scheduled to speak every Sunday for the rest of the year and I could hardly get to the car.

This was not in “our plans!”
This was a great opportunity for us to trust Him to “show, teach, and lead” us.
This did not take the Lord by surprise.

So, friends, what is happening in your part of the world? Regardless of our circumstances, we need the Lord to show, teach, and lead us. We need to be watching for His tender mercies and lovingkindness. We must always respect and revere Him as we bend our knees and adjust our plans to His good and upright plan.

Very soon I would be in surgery (this was the 5th back surgery for me) and recovering and so glad to be His servant. He used these experiences to greatly extend and expand our opportunities to serve and trust. Be alert for opportunities to trust Him.