” Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Ps. 139:16, ESV).

Have you ever considered the possibility, “I could have been born in another country…to another family…differently”?

In light of the Aurora, CO awful event, I couldn’t help but consider, I could have been there.  And then invading my thoughts comes the even bigger and boggling thought, why wasn’t I there?

Then God allowed me to remember the verse that is ALWAYS a comfort to me, when seeming tragedy comes into my life and when in God’s plan I have managed to escape it.

” Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Ps. 139:16, ESV).

God has a plan for me, and He knew what it was even before I was formed in my mother’s womb! And His word says He has good plans for me. Even when the events of my life appear to be disastrous to me, I try to meditate on this verse.

“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 ‘” (Jer. 29:11, KJV).

Charles Stanley comments: “Sometimes God allows opposition to His will to succeed for a time. We may not know why, and unexpected developments may dishearten us. But adversity is merely a setback from which we take our greatest leaps forward.”1

So God has good plans for me.  Why? Because He LOVES me! I am reminded that God says nothing can separate me from His love.

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:38-39, NLT),

Marilyn Willett Heavilin

Marilyn is a wife and mother, author, and international conference and retreat speaker.  She and her husband Glen serve as Counselors-in-Residence at America’s KESWICK during the summer months. 

1 Charles F. Stanley, The Life Principles Daily Bible, (c) 2007, page 889.