When my wife Pam and I first surrendered our lives to Jesus, one of the things we did was open a coffeehouse with some friends in our church. The coffeehouse was called "Quiet Fire" and we attracted young people, both high school and college students. God used it to touch the lives of people who were not yet believers and those who were just beginning their lives of faith. Eventually the coffeehouse closed but I remember those days with great fondness. When you and I love the Lord, sometimes we make big plans. Sometimes our plans work out...and sometimes they work out differently from what we thought they would be! Today, let's listen to one First Century planner and see what happened to him:

I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. (Philippians 1:12 NLT)

From the earliest days of the apostle Paul’s conversion, he wanted to preach in Rome. Rome was an important city, maybe the most important city in the known world at that time. God took him there—but God took him the long way around. Along the way Paul was beat up, chained, imprisoned, shipwrecked, and left for dead. When he finally arrived in Rome, he was in chains. Not chained to a wall like one might imagine; Paul was chained to a daily rotation of royal guards for two years. That means Paul had the opportunity to talk with hundreds of guards. This wasn’t Paul’s plan but it was God’s plan. Many guards and people in Nero's palace came to Christ through Paul's ministry. In addition, it was while he was in prison that Paul wrote most of his New Testament letters while in chains—letters that are still guiding us today.

Today, you may have plans, but God has plans, too. Even if your plans don't seem to work out, you can trust God. His plans always work out...and that is very Good News!