Ch5: Episode 3: Gideon's Call: Overcoming Fear with Divine Strength

0:00 Well, welcome back to the Gifts of No Return, Episode 3, Gideon's Call, where we will explore the timeless and unchanging nature of God's call in our lives. I'm your host, Connie Morris, and in our last episode, we discussed Paul's dramatic conversion and how God's call can transform any life. Today, we'll dive into the story of Gideon as recorded in Judges 6 with the theme, Overcoming Fear with Divine Calling. We'll look at Gideon's initial fear and feelings of inadequacies, the angel's unexpected greeting, and Gideon's journey from fear to faith and leadership.

0:50 This story is a powerful reminder that God often calls those who feel least qualified and that his strength can help us overcome our deepest fears. So let's explore Gideon's remarkable journey together. So Gideon's story, like I said, is found in Judges chapter 6, and I think it's 1 through, I think it's 13, 1 through about 7, 1 through 25. And we're going to take it part by part with some side journeys to help you understand how did Gideon and the Israelites get here?

1:35 What was Gideon's yes? What happened after yes? She's going to journey with us And we're going to picture ourselves inside of Gideon's story So let's start by understanding the context of Gideon's story During this time, the Israelites were oppressed by the Midianites So if you read your Bible, you know there's a lot of ites in the Bible And God uses the ites to keep the Israelites in order right? And so this particular time and period is these Midianites. And because they have done evil in the eyes of the Lord, the Israelites, God uses the Midianites to keep them in order.

2:17 So let's pick it up in verse, Judges chapter six, one through six, and let's read what was going on at that time where God had called Gideon out. He called Gideon out. Let's read it. The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. And for seven years, he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Seven years. Because the power of the Midians were so oppressive, The Israelites prepared shelters for themselves In mountain cliffs, caves, and strongholds So they hid from them Whenever the Israelites planted their crops.

3:02 The Midianites, the Amalekites, and other eastern people invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkey. They produced their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. Whatever they had, they destroyed. It was impossible to count them or their camels. They invaded the land to ravage it. Midians so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help. So we see here that the Israelites at this time were being, they were being scavenged.

3:49 They were being, their property, they said nothing was left behind. So they were hiding during the time. They would plant their seeds and grains at the time of harvest. The Midianites, the Amakites, and whoever could would come and take their land, take all their stuff. Sometimes we know people who always are a victim. Something always negative is happening in their lives. Not saying God did it. We have an evil who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. And sometimes the activities we do open up that gate that things happen always in a negative.

4:35 And I don't know if you know anyone like that, right? But let's see what happened. What opened the door to this, the Israelites and Gideon to have this happen to them. Let's go to verses seven to verse 10. Let's read one verse at a time Let's just read it a little bit all together Verse 7 to 10 It said when the Israelites cried out to the Lord Because of Midian, He sent them a prophet So God heard them He sent them a prophet who said This is what the Lord The God of Israel says I brought you up out of Egypt Out of the land of slavery I rescued you from the hand Of the Egyptians I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors.

5:22 I drove them out before you and gave you their land. I said to you, I am the Lord your God. Do not worship the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you did not listen to me. Whoa. Whoa. The Lord was, did it sound like he was happy at that moment? He said, I delivered you. I told you this is your land, but do not go over there worshiping any other God. But you did not listen to me. So if you know the Bible, we know that the book of Judges counts how Israel will worship God, obey him, and then God will rescue them.

6:07 And then they'll go back to doing worshiping other gods. And so during this time, God says, I told you not to worship this other God. So the Israelites repeatedly fall into sin, particularly idolatry, which leads to their oppression by surrounding nations. But when they cry out to God, he raises up judges, military leaders, and deliverers who will rescue them from their enemies. However, after each deliverance, the cycle begins again with the Israelites falling back into sin. So let's walk through the story about why were the Israelites and Gideon in this situation.

6:51 Verse 7, At this point in Israel's history, the Midianites were severely oppressing the Israelites, causing them to live in fear and poverty. The Israelites, recognizing their dire situation, cried out to God for help. This cry is significant because it represents their acknowledgement of their need for divine intervention, even though it is driven by desperation rather than genuine repentance. So they know they were wrong and they know they need help, but they're not in the repentance heart. That's verse 7. Verse 8, instead of immediately sending a deliverer as he had in the past, God first sent a prophet to remind the Israelites first.

7:40 Of their history and covenant relationship with him. The prophet message begins by recounting God's past acts of deliverance, specifically the exodus from Egypt, which is a foundational event in Israel's identity. This reminder serves to contrast God's faithfulness with Israel's current unfaithfulness. So they were delivered back in Exodus from Pharaoh's army. Remember the plagues? And so Moses delivered them from their enemy, walked across dry land of the Red Sea, and yet they seem to have forgot that deliverance.

8:24 And now they're crying out to God again for help. In verse 9, the prophet continues to recount how God not only delivered Israel from Egypt, but also from all other subsequent oppressors. I keep delivering you guys. And they entered the promised land. God has fought for Israel, driving out their enemies, giving them their land. This verse emphasizes God's role as the active and mighty deliverer who has constantly been on the Israel's side. And then the prophet concludes by reminding the Israelites of God's command not to worship the God of the Amorites.

9:13 The Amorites were one of many Canaanites people whose idolatrous practice the Israelites were supposed to avoid. However, the Israelites failed to obey this command and instead adopted the worship of these false gods. This disobedience is the root cause of their suffering under the Midianite oppression. So they're under another deep oppression. But the one thing we see here that is in the Bible. So we know, you know, if you know the story, you know, the end of the story that God's going to rescue them. But I wanted to take a pause here to show you how they got here.

9:58 They were worshiping other gods. So Gideon's situation arise directly from the disobedience of the Israelites to God's commandments. The oppression by the Midianites is presented as a consequence of Israel's idolatry and the failure to remain faithful to their covenant with God. By returning to the God of the Amorites and neglecting the worship of the true God, the Israelites have removed themselves from God's protection, leading to their current plight.

10:39 God sending the prophet before raising up Gideon as a deliverer serves as an essential purpose. It reminds the Israelites and us as readers that their suffering is not arbitrary, but it is a direct result of their spiritual infidelity. Ouch. The prophet message is a call to repentance and a reminder of the importance of the faithfulness of God. So God sent a prophet to remind them of their past deliverance. When he sends a prophet, it reminds you that he sees what's going on with them, that he still has an eye on his people.

11:27 And he said, just repent, right? Just get it right. Gideon's story is set against this backdrop of national sin and the need for deliverance. His call to leadership is not just about military victory, but also about leading Israel back to true worship of God. Gideon's initial hesitancy and doubt reflects the spiritual state of the nation. Uncertain, fearful, and far from God. Yet God's response to Israel's cry and his choice of Gideon demonstrates his mercy and willingness to restore his people when they turn back to him.

12:15 So this answers the why Why that we're in Gideon six? Why is Gideon being called out for this situation? So we see it's a dire situation. The people have turned to another God. Right? They have turned to another God. So let's pick it up here. And we, okay, right here, we see here, I'm just going to continue here, that we see that under this, with this, with God's gifts of no return, embracing God's unchanging call, that he, God is faithful, right? God is faithful. So God's faithfulness reminds us, reminds Israel that I'm faithful.

12:57 I'm faithful to you. Even though you are not faithful to me, I'm faithful to you. Just as sometimes when we're not faithful to God, he is still faithful to us in delivering them from Egypt. He's still in the back of his mind. He's still going to deliver them from the Midianites. He just had to say what he had to say. You guys are being disobedient. You worshiping other gods and you need to get your act together. But I'm faithful to you. I'm faithful to you. This also reminds that God's gifts, that he is faithful with his gifts and calling, even when his people are unfaithful.

13:40 Consequence of disobedience, it has an impact on others. The story of Gideon shows us that while God's gifts and callings are irrevocable, there are still consequences when we turn away from God or neglect his commands. The Israelites under the Midianites, because they did not listen to God and instead followed other guys, in our lives, we may experience difficulties or challenges when we stray from God's path or ignore his calling. However, these consequences are not Not the withdrawal of his gifts, but rather the natural result of stepping outside of his protective will.

14:31 It is a reminder that embracing God's calling also involves a commitment to live according to his guidance. Still, God's ultimate plan and his covenant with them remain intact. God's calling is not dependent on our perfection. It is a reflection of his unwavering purpose and grace. It says, another one, God calls to repentance and restoration. Even when Israel was in a state of disobedience, God responded to their cries for help by sending a prophet to call them back to repentance before raising up Gideon as a deliverer.

15:16 This reflects God's desire not only to bestow gifts and calling, but also to see his people walk in those callings fully and faithfully. In our current situation, we find ourselves struggling. If we find ourselves struggling or distant from God, his calling still remains. Still, there may be a need for repentance or realignment with his will. God gives our no return because he is committed to his purpose within us. But he also desires that we live in a way that aligns with his intention.

15:59 When he gave me this title for this devotional, Gifts of No Return, and it's so typical of society today is that if we don't like something, we always find a way to return it, right? We always find a way. we keep the receipt, we can return it. If we don't use it, most of the time people take it back, any store take it back within a certain amount of days if you have the receipt, right? If you didn't use it properly or however, follow the receipt instruction, you can return it back. And so we think that if we mess up with God, that he will actually take his gift back.

16:40 But God is not an Indian giver. In America, Indian giver mean that someone would give you a gift. And then if you don't act right, or if you don't be as their friend anymore, then they can take their gift back. But God is not like that. Once he gives it to you, he is yours. And sometimes God activates a gift inside of you that you don't really know that you have. But every person on this earth that's born, no matter where you are in America and around the world, you have a gift of no return. We are all called to do something. And we'll get into that in the last episode. What is your gift? What is your calling?

17:25 And he desires us to line it up to the way he wants it to be. And some of us, the gift and calling maybe is ignited in this. In this episode where you didn't realize that you were acting in disobedience because no one ever told you. You're like, dang, that sounds like me. You can just repent. 1 John 1.9 said that if you repent, ask God for forgiveness, that he will forgive you. Just say, Lord, I know I've sinned against you, that I've been walking against your will, and I want to get it right. He immediately forgives you. He cleanses you right away.

18:08 You can walk immediately in that gift and in that calling. It's going to take some steps just like Gideon. We're going to walk through the steps of Gideon, but it's that process. You get to start that process anew. The responsibility and faithfulness, the story of Gideon and the Israelites underscore the importance of responding to God's gifts and calling with faithfulness. God has given Israel the land and victory over their enemy, but their unfaithfulness led to their oppression. Similarly, God may place a gift, place a calling on our lives, but it's up to us to live it out with integrity and obedience.

18:51 Disobedience the power of saying yes to God includes not just accepting his call but also committing to the path he set for us even when it's challenging and then the assurance of God's purpose God's unchanging purpose despite Israel failure God's purpose for them did not change it didn't change why because he sent a prophet to them a prophet say hey get your act together repent. Whenever God sends someone to you to tell you, get your act together, that means you're still on his list. You're still in his will.

19:31 Whenever you don't hear from God, you better get concerned. So if he's saying, hey, right now you've got this podcast on, he's talking to you. He's saying, hey, there's still a chance for you to get your act together, to walk in obedience, obedience. And to the gifts and calling that you have called for you, that you can walk this out in obedience, in restoration, in God's faithfulness. The power of saying yes includes not just accepting his call, but committing to the path he has set for you, even when it's challenging. You know, despite Israel's failures, God's purpose for them did not change.

20:12 God did not change his mind. Stop saying that. I don't think God want to use me now. Now, yes, he does. Even though you might be a little dirty and filthy, he's going to rinse you off. And that's going to add to the story that you're going to tell the people when you get an opportunity to tell your story, whether it's through a podcast, whether it's through a story you're going to write, whether it's just one-on-one that you're going to share your story with someone when you're evangelizing. He still intends to deliver them and fulfill his promise. God keeps his promise. He does his part. This is a powerful reminder that God's calling in our lives is part of his broader, unchanging purpose. Our mistake or detours. I think a detour is because I remember I was running far left.

20:58 Yes, slowly. Not running. Let's say walking the other way slowly. You know how kids do. Or you have a pet. You're calling the pet out. And they know they hear you, but they keep going the other way. Yes. Detours don't cancel. God's plans. Instead, he can even use our failures to bring about his will. We will see how he can ultimately use Gideon to deliver Israel. The story of Gideon in Judges 6, 7-10, those verses highlight the importance of recognizing and embracing God's gifts and calling with a heart of obedience and faithfulness.

21:46 While God's gifts and callings are irrevocable, our experience of them can be affected by our choice and alignment with his will. So like the Israelites, we may face challenges when we stray, but God is always ready to restore and empower us to fulfill his will when we turn back to him. I hope that's so good. So let's finish up this story. That was a little side scope to get us encouraged that no matter where we are, no matter what you feel like, when you turned back to God, he's already looking right in your face saying, thank you, baby girl, baby boy. We got you. Let's get this thing going.

22:26 Let's get this thing going. All right, verses 11 and 12. We're going to talk about this. This process of return, the process of return. We talk about the obedience. Now you've turned back. Let's see how Gideon has turned back and what the process looks like. Verses 11 and 12, the angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Oprah, is it Oprah? That belonged to Joash in Abrazite, probably messing up this, but that's okay, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a wine press.

23:07 So in the wrong place, right? To keep it from the Midianites. So he's hiding the food. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, the Lord is with you, you mighty warrior. Look how God saw Gideon. The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior. Here we see Gideon hiding in fear, trying to protect what little he had from the Midianites. The angel's greeting, the Lord is with you, mighty warrior, seems ironic given Gideon's fearful state, yet it speaks to the potential God saw in him, not his current circumstances.

23:48 I love that God sees who you are at the heart, not what you feel on the outside, right? Gideon's response highlights his inadequacy and his doubt and his fear. So he says, it's kind of like, he says, you mighty warrior, even though he was feeling fear, I see you as a mighty warrior. I see, I got some things for you to do, so I need to see you in your future. Let's look at verse 13 to 15. It says, pardon me, my Lord, Gideon replied, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Well, I took that little sidetrack to explain why all that happened to us.

24:31 Okay. So let's keep going. Gideon knows why this happened to him. So let's keep going. Here are where all the wonders that all the ancestors told us about when they said, like He's saying, where are all the miracles? Where are all the signs and all the wonders? Well, we know where they are. That's why I took that little journey. Did not the Lord bring us out of Egypt? But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us unto the hand of the Midians. The Lord turned to him and said, Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of the Midians' hand. Am I not sending you?

25:12 Pardon me, my Lord, Gideon replied. but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my family. So he's trying to keep Gideon focused, you know, and it says, Gideon doubts and feelings of inaccuracy are evident. He questions God's presence and power, and he doubts his ability to lead. This is a relatable moment for many of us who feel unqualified and overwhelmed by God's call. However, God's response was, go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. am I not sending you?

25:55 Reassures us that God's calling comes with his strength and presence. Despite his fears, Gideon obeys God's command and begins his journey from fear to faith. I like that. I like that. He says, I'm talking to you. He says, I need you to go in my strength. So Gideon starts to figure out that he's talking to me. I got to do something. I got to do something. Let's look at Judges 6.16. The Lord answered, I will be with you and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive. Like, okay, the fight is on. God reassurance, I will be with you is crucial.

26:41 It reminds us that God's presence and strength are what enables us to fulfill this calling, not our abilities. This is echoed in Isaiah 41.10, which says, so do not fear for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I would uphold you with my righteous right hand. So when God calls us, he's not calling us to go out ahead and do it without him. He's the one holding our hand. He's the one that said he's never leave us or forsake us. So Gideon's journey from faith, from fear to faith continues with his first act of obedience.

27:27 So now he hears God, your mighty warrior. He said, I'm sending you. And he said, you're not going to do this in your own ability. So now he's getting stirred up, ready to go. Let's go to verse 25 to 27. The same night, the Lord said to him, take the second bull from your father herd and the seven, the seven year old, the seven year old, tear down the father's altar to bail and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper kind of altar for the Lord, your God, on top of this height, using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down.

28:09 Offer the second bull as a burnt offering. So Gideon took 10 of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than at the daytime. Whether he did it at night or not, he did it, right? So God said, I need you to do this. Tear down this bale pole and put up a pole that worships me. So Gideon's obedience, even in fear, marked the beginning of his transformation. It reminds, it shows that courage isn't the absence of fear, but the willingness to act in spite of it.

28:51 Anybody ever done anything in fear? You're already afraid, but you did it anyway. That's what Gideon did. Gideon did it in spite of his fear. 2 Timothy 1, 7 reminds us that the spirit of God gave us does not make us timid, but it gives us power, love, and self-discipline. So we have to remember that we have that strength in us and it's given to us by God. So I love that Gideon is daring to move forward in boldness, to tear down the altar of the other god is is it takes boldness and to put up the altar of god that could have cost him his life but he didn't care because the gifts of no return embracing god's unchanging call he grabs what it take to walk in god's calling gideon's story teaches us that god often caused those who feel least qualified.

29:57 His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Oh, wow. He empowers us to overcome our personal fears to fulfill his divine purposes. So how do we put this Gideon story into our story? How do we do that? So the first thing we will have to do is we will have to recognize and confront our fears. We have to recognize and confront our fears. So how do we do that? We identify areas in your life where fear holds you back from fully embracing God's call.

30:38 Now, fear is like a grip. What makes us so afraid? And I remember having those. What makes us so afraid? And that varies from person to person, that fear that grips us. But we see here in 2 Timothy 1, 7, reminds us that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but he has given us power, love, and self-discipline. Some scriptures say a sound mind. And so remember that we're doing it in the power of God, with God's strength and with his power. or fear should do it afraid like Gideon did.

31:18 Gideon showed courage. Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's the willingness to do it in spite of it. Something to think about. Reflect on how these fears impact your action and decision. Is fear holding you like the frozen chosen? If so, find out why. Why are you so afraid? Who are you trying to impress? Can you just do it for Jesus? Like, do it anyway. See how that makes you feel. I know I'm talking to myself. Do it anyway. Do it anyway. Number two, trust in God's strength to carry out his calling.

32:00 Here we go. That's the answer. Spend time in prayer, asking God's strength to guide you. Meditate on the scripture and remind you of God's presence and power, such as Philippians 4.3. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. One thing that helped me with my fear is to just be prepared. When I first became a new preacher, I used to always kind of pray and study, study, study before I got before the people. And even when I got before the people, I had what I was going to say, but God would change it.

32:44 But I was like, well, I didn't even use my notes. And that's the point. I'm prepared. Don't be, go prepared, but leave room for the Holy Ghost. How about that? Leave room for the Holy Ghost. You're studying what God wants you to study. But God has a way. His word is multifaceted, right? He has a way that he wants the people to know. And it was always good. And it was good. Okay, number three, take small steps of faith and obedience. Start with small acts of obedience to build your faith and confidence. What would that look like? So that's up to you. What would it take for you to build your faith and confidence?

33:29 As you're praying, you know, this funny that, that, that step is up there. Cause as you're trying to build your faith and confidence, certain things will come up in, in your, if you're, if you're a student, it'll come up in your class where they'll say, Billy or Susie, can you come before the classroom and do a presentation? That might be your test to get out of that fear. Oh, I think Connie, you, you look like you're ready to do ABC. You'd be like, you know, and And that's your little step of faith and obedience. God has a way of pulling us out in front to help train us to get rid of some of this fear, right? Just little things, just little things. I remember that each step, no matter how small, is significant in your journey with God.

34:14 James 2.17 says, In the same way, faith by itself, if it's not accompanied by action, is dead. So faith without works is dead. And so we have to do something to stir up our faith. It's like if you're going to run, learn how to run a marathon, you got to start out. If you never ran a marathon, they teach you how to start out walking, running and walking, then walking and running a little bit. And pretty soon you're running a lot more. See how, so it's a little bit of movement, but you're moving forward. And pretty soon you're running a marathon and you never go back to walking. So just little bitty steps to move you forward. That's just an example.

34:56 And just little steps to move you towards making a speech. Maybe one day you're reading poetry. Next day you might be reading, preaching one verse. Now you're preaching two. Now you're preaching a sermon. It just depends, taking little steps. Number four, seek the support from others. Share your fears and calling with trusted friends and mentors who can encourage and pray for you. Most of the time, if you have a gift or calling, if you belong to a local church or a community, you don't have to tell people your call to the ministry or whatever. Your personal leadership will say there's something about you. That's your confirmation.

35:37 And so friends will say it, but a leadership would just pretty much confirm that you are and get ready to send you off for formal training if that's needed. it. Surround yourself with supportive community that help you grow in faith. So don't try to do it alone. Hebrews 10, 24, 25 encourages us to let us not consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as the Seed Day approaching, encouraging us to be in a community of believers.

36:19 And so if you're not in a community of believers, find a community of believers that believe the same as you do and just partner with them, right? So let's do just a quick review. you, I think we're almost done. We aren't the good and bad. We see how it's important for us to be obedient to what God has called us. But when Gideon said yes to God, it was not just one single yes moment, but a series of decisions to trust and obey God, despite his fears and doubt from tearing down an altar to bail, to leading an outnumbered army into the battle.

37:00 You know, Gideon's obedience allowed God to work through him to deliver Israel. His yes was a journey of faith marked by small steps of obedience that led to significant outcomes. This story highlights how saying yes to God, even in the face of uncertainty, can lead to extraordinary results. This is only part of his story. He ended up getting his crew together, which went from like 3,000 or 30,000 to 300 and running those media nights out of the place. And they had peace and they were able to enjoy their food and their wine.

37:47 Not really, you know, they have their wine, their grapes and eating there without hiding, without hiding. Having victory in Jesus because of their obedience, because of Gideon's obedience, of tearing down that altar of Baal, putting up the altar of Jesus, and following the instructions for this battle that they had. So the story of Gideon is interesting. You might want to read it in its entirety. But the whole story I wanted to show you was the yes that he said. That yes Seth started many other yeses, and he was able to follow the instructions in its entirety and had victory.

38:28 So let's wrap this up. I want to go over these decrees, and then we can conclude this episode. So number one decree, decree for overcoming fear. So I decree that like Gideon, I will overcome my fears and doubts with strength and guidance of the Lord. I trust that God equips and empowers those he calls. Decree for divine strength. You don't want to stop there for a minute. Fear is false evidence appearing real. So find out what that fear is and why is it gripping you so tight. And then remind yourself that God overcome all fear.

39:12 And it's false evidence appearing real because we have victory in Jesus, right? Okay, so let's go over that again. Decree for overcoming fear. I decree that, like Gideon, I will overcome my fears and doubts with the strength and guidance of the Lord. I trust that God equips and empowers those he calls. Decree for divine strength. I decree that I will rely on God's strength to carry out his calling in my life. I believe that his presence with me is enough to face any challenge.

39:56 Decree for faith and obedience. I decree that I will take steps of faith and obedience, trusting that God will lead me and provide for me every step of the way. A decree for community support. I decree that I will seek and embrace the support of my Christian community, knowing that we are stronger together in fulfilling God's purpose. As we conclude this episode, take some time to reflect on how God's strength has helped you overcome fears in the past and how he can continue to do so in your current journey.

40:36 Remember, God's call is not based on our qualification, but on his power and purpose. In our next episode, we will explore the story of Deborah, focusing on her bold leadership and how God's call can defy cultural and societal norms. Deborah's example is a powerful testament to the impact of faith and courage. Thank you for joining us on this episode of Gifts of No Return, Embracing God's Unchanging Call. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with others who might benefit from this message.

41:20 Thank you for listening and God bless. Until next time, stay encouraged. Keep embracing the gifts God has placed within you. Remember, God's gifts and callings are irrevocable. and he has a unique and unchanging plan for your life. God bless.