Today is a special day for me, though it may be a normal Wednesday for you. It’s my birthday today! I have been on this earth for 29 years and I’m thankful to say that I have been immensely blessed in those 29 years.

As I reflect on my life thus far, I am staggered by the love I have been shown by Our Father. I cannot number the ways that He has blessed me, provided for me, and watched over me. When I was not paying attention or thinking of Him, He was thinking of me. Psalm 139 puts it this way,

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
  you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
  and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
  behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
Psalm 139:1-4

How wonderful that God knows us and is present with us!

I am also taking a small amount of time today to work on a project I have been meaning to start. I have a LEGO car that I was given at Christmas that I want to put back together, and the process of putting different block and pieces together is helping me appreciate the ways that God directs our lives to create us.

Whether you might view God as a master architect of your life, planning every intricate detail, or an artist like Bob Ross, allowing for the painting that is your life to come about naturally in some way, or anything in between, we all believe that God directs our paths. The Apostle Paul tells us,

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, 
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10

Our Father has created us uniquely, lovingly, and for a specific purpose that only we can fulfill. He prepared the way for us ahead of time, giving us opportunities to grow and to follow His will.
Indeed, Our Lord not only created us for a purpose and knows our every step, but He also guides us in the way that we should go. He leads us through experiences and challenges that will help us grow.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
  and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
  and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

I’m thankful today for all that God has done for directly and through the people in my life. I hope that you will take some time to reflect in gratitude and humility on the ways that God has built you up into the person you are now.

Let us pray for each other and for ourselves, that we would all grow up into the people the God desires us to be.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
God’s Providence and Love be with you all,
Noah Wilson