Welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread.

Today's reading titled God's Plans for You was written by Amy Boucher Pie.

For six years, Agnes tried to make herself the perfect minister's wife,

modeling herself after her adored mother-in-law, also a pastor's wife. She thought that in this role, she couldn't also be a

writer and painter, but in burying her creativity, she became depressed and contemplated suicide.

Only the help of a neighboring pastor moved her out of the darkness as he prayed with her

and assigned her two hours of writing each morning.

This awakened her to what she called her sealed orders, the calling God had given her.

She wrote, for me to be really myself, my complete self,

every flow of creativity that God had given me had to find its channel. Later, she pointed to one

of David's songs that expressed how she found her calling, take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

As she committed her way to God trusting him to lead and guide her, he made a way for her,

not only to write and paint, but to help others to better communicate with him.

God has a set of sealed orders for each of us, not only that

we'll know we're his beloved children, but understand the unique ways we can serve him through

our gifts and passions. He'll lead us as we trust and delight in him.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from Psalm 37, verses 3 through 7.

Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord,

trust in Him, and He will do this. He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,

your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

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