Down Gilead Lane, Season 8 | Episode 8
GOD HAD A PLAN PT. 1
Season Description
When things seem to be spinning out of your control, it can be hard to remember that God always has a plan-and we can trust Him no matter what! An important lesson the Morrisons will learn in this exciting season! If you don’t want to miss a thing with DGL–don’t forget to listen to the Special episode, “The Hope that Heals”. You’ll find a great new addition to the Morrison family!
Today’s Story
Facing life in a
Veterans hospital, Mr. Key struggles with bitterness. Tom Richter stirs up painful memories
from Mr. Key’s past. But as Mr. Key
looks back over his life, he also realizes that God has been reaching out to him
all these years. Which will win
out—the bitterness of old wounds or the love of God?
How about
you…
Do you have pain
in your past that makes it hard to respond to God’s love?
Check this
out…
In the Gospels, we meet two very
interesting men: Judas and Peter.
These men had many things in common, like they were both Jewish, and they
were both chosen by Jesus to be His disciples. Also, they both became afraid and maybe
a little bitter when they realized that Jesus was probably not going to
overthrow the Roman Empire (the tyrannical world power of that time), and make
the nation of
But how were these two men different? Well, for Judas, the bitterness and (eventually) guilt were too much for him to even accept the love and forgiveness that would have been available from Jesus, so he came to a tragic end. Matthew 27:3-5 reads:
When Judas, who
had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and
returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. "I have
sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood."
"What is that to
us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility." So Judas threw the money
into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged
himself.
For Peter, the story may have gone the same, but in his
case, love won out. Peter stayed
around long enough to see Jesus again—and that made all the difference. Jesus knew that Peter had denied Him
three times, so one morning, after appearing to His disciples for the
third time; Jesus asked Peter a question three times! The conversation is found in John
chapter 21, and it goes like this:
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to
Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love
you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered,
"Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said,
"Take care of my sheep."
The third time he said to him, "Simon son of
John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third
time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I
love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep…Then he said to him, "Follow
me!"
When you have pain and
bitterness, will you reject God and self destruct? Or will you listen to Him and let His
love make a difference like it did in the life of Peter?