Plans Sometimes Equal Course correction

Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

Many are the plans in a person’s heart,

    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Have you ever heard of someone who spent years of preparation for one vocation only to end up doing something completely different? Perhaps this could be said of you.  Quite often we have in our minds what we believe we want to do only to have a course correction. Often the course correction comes through a major crisis that forces us into an area that we would never have considered.

Such was the case for Samuel Morse. Born in 1791, Morse grew up desiring to be an artist, and he eventually became very talented and internationally known. However, it was difficult to make a living as an artist in America during that time. A series of crises further complicated his vocational desire when his wife died; then his mother and father also died soon after. He went to Europe to paint and reflect on his life. On his return trip aboard a ship, he was captivated by discussions at dinner about new experiments in electromagnetism. During that important occasion, Morse made the following comment, "If the presence of electricity can be made visible in any part of the circuit, I see no reason why intelligence may not be transmitted by electricity." In the face of many difficulties and disappointments, he determinedly perfected a new invention, and, in 1837, applied for a patent that became what we know today as the telegraph. He also created Morse code. It was only later, after many more setbacks and disappointments, that his projects received funding.

Samuel Morse later commented, "The only gleam of hope, and I cannot underrate it, is from confidence in God. When I look upward it calms any apprehension for the future, and I seem to hear a voice saying: 'If I clothe the lilies of the field, shall I not also clothe you?' Here is my strong confidence, and I will wait patiently for the direction of Providence." Morse went on to create several other inventions and can be recognized today as the father of faxes, modems, e-mail, the internet and other electronic communication

God's plans may not always seem to follow our natural inclination. Perhaps God has you taking a path that may not lead to His ultimate destination for you. Trust in the Lord, lean not on your own understanding, acknowledge Him in all you do, and He shall direct your path (see Prov. 3:5-6).

Dear Lord, Help us trust You today as we strive to see what You have planned for us. We pray that we won’t get discouraged when things don’t go like we think it should. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Samuel Morse - "What hath God wrought!"

Numbers 23:23 (KJV)

Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought.

One day a friend of Samuel Morse, inventor of the telegraph, said to him, "Professor, when you were making your experiments, did you ever come to a place not knowing what to do next?"

"More than once," Morse replied, "and whenever I could not see my way clearly, I knelt down and prayed to God for light and understanding."

Then Morse added: "When flattering honors came to me from American and Europe on account of my invention, I never felt I deserved them. I had made a valuable application of electricity, not because I was superior to another man, but solely because God, who meant it for mankind, must reveal it to someone, and was pleased to reveal it to me."

In May, 1844, the first message to be sent over the telegraph, dispatched by Morse himself between Washington and Baltimore, were the words: "What hath God wrought!"

Dear Lord, Help to kneel before you and as You for the guidance that we need. And then let us not forget to give You all the glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Our Plans and God's Plans.

Proverbs 19:21 (New International Version)



Many are the plans in a person’s heart,


but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.






Have you ever heard of someone who spent years of preparation for one vocation only to end up doing something completely different? Perhaps this could be said of you. Quite often we have in our minds what we believe we want to do only to have a course correction. Often the course correction comes through a major crisis that forces us into an area that we would never have considered.


Such was the case for Samuel Morse. Born in 1791, Morse grew up desiring to be an artist, and he eventually became very talented and internationally known. However, it was difficult to make a living as an artist in America during that time. A series of crises further complicated his vocational desire when his wife died; then his mother and father also died soon after. He went to Europe to paint and reflect on his life. On his return trip aboard a ship, he was captivated by discussions at dinner about new experiments in electromagnetism. During that important occasion, Morse made the following comment, "If the presence of electricity can be made visible in any part of the circuit, I see no reason why intelligence may not be transmitted by electricity." In the face of many difficulties and disappointments, he determinedly perfected a new invention, and, in 1837, applied for a patent that became what we know today as the telegraph. He also created Morse code. It was only later, after many more setbacks and disappointments, that his projects received funding.


Samuel Morse later commented, "The only gleam of hope, and I cannot underrate it, is from confidence in God. When I look upward it calms any apprehension for the future, and I seem to hear a voice saying: 'If I clothe the lilies of the field, shall I not also clothe you?' Here is my strong confidence, and I will wait patiently for the direction of Providence." Morse went on to create several other inventions and can be recognized today as the father of faxes, modems, e-mail, the internet and other electronic communication. ["Glimpses," Issue #99 (Worcester, Pennsylvania: Christian History Institute, 1998).]



God's plans may not always seem to follow our natural inclination. Perhaps God has you taking a path that may not lead to His ultimate destination for you.

Dear Lord we pray that we will keep our goals in line with what you would have for us. Help us to always do our very best where we are knowing that you will be able to use it. In Jesus' name, Amen.