Jeremiah 1:5 "I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart…" (NLT)

We often hear how important it is for us to have faith in God. We are sometimes told that nothing can be accomplished in our life without it. But has anyone ever told you that God also has faith in you?

In my younger years, God’s faith in me played a bigger role in my life than my faith in Him. More than two decades have passed since I prayed a prayer that is now my life. During that time, I made many poor choices that set me traveling down the wrong roads.

Shortly after my first personal experience with Jesus, I asked Him for a godly husband. I was married then and wanted him to be the strong Christian husband I needed. That never happened and I chose to walk away from him, and God.

I struggled to go my own way, like a rebellious teenager, believing I could handle anything that crossed my path. God let me go, as any loving father would, but He never took His guiding hand from my life.

My poor choices resulted in many miserable, wasted years of existence. Consumed by drugs, alcohol, and the search for a love that I could not find, my life spiraled out of control. It was not really life in any sense of the word; it was merely existence. Anyone watching me during that time would never have known that I was a child of God.

Looking back on it now, I see the evidence of His presence continuously, even in the darkest moments. When I actively told Him to go away, He still protected me. And His memory did not fail. He heard and remembered every request I made. The events of my life all led to the answer of that distant prayer and the good plans God had in store for me.

He moved me from one end of the state to the other and positioned me exactly where I needed to be for my godly man to cross my path.

Suddenly, there he was! I didn’t recognize him at first because God’s work in us was not complete. We became good friends, and remained that way for three years, as God continued with His gracious effort on our behalf.

We have been married now for six years. About two years into our marriage, we decided to cooperate with God and let Him change us into what we should be. Some of the changes came easily, some were gut wrenching, but they all lined up with God’s good plan for our life.

Even when I walked away from God, He was faithful to keep His word, and remained with me. He proved Himself true over the fifteen years that I, a rebellious youngster, tried to find my own way in a world that is littered with dead-end roads.

If I had not thrown a temper tantrum and walked away in a huff, just imagine how much sooner my prayer would have been answered! God’s word says in Jeremiah 29:11 that He makes good plans for our future. The closer we walk with Him, the sooner we step into the life He has set on our course. As I committed myself more to Him and His ways, my faith brought to light new opportunities and paths that I never would have seen.

Now my husband and I are both ministers, with a unique view of how God works. I am living proof that even if we get lost along the way, He remains faithful, just as His word says. He will do the same for anyone.

Jeremiah 29:11 "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." (NLT)

Copyright 2006 Angela Moore-Duck