BY DESIGN

By, Glenn Rosenbaum

Reminiscent to a bus load of new recruits arriving at a reception station for basic military training, on Monday evening, on the 27th of October 2021, 19 men arrived and filed into the main lodge at Skyrose ranch. As they entered through the door enroute to their seats, one could almost immediately sense by the way they walked these men needed help.

With every breath they exhaled and the words that rode upon each breath, it was if one could smell the all too familiar odors of the shame, guilt, lies, fear and pride within which they were consumed. And with every passing new moment with these men, it became clearer and clearer that the pockets of their souls were heavy laden with unforgiveness and mountains of bitterness and resentment. If one looked closely at the face of any one of these men, you could see the all too familiar marks of their past. A countenance so heavy it seemed as if the muscles in their face, that were normally used to contort a smile, had reached a point that it had given up and lost all hope. Like the muscles in their face, these men had given up and lost all hope.

Starting with the first session “Welcome to Legacy Program”, and ending with our last session “Why the Bible”, instructor after instructor would share his story and the truth of God’s design. With every session of instruction and discussion, the one true thing that every man needed would continue to challenge each man at his very core. As promised:

By design, God used the testimonies of the instructors to expose their weightless excuses and water His seeds of hope.

By design, God used his word that was taught to bring clarity in places of their lives where the enemy had distorted God’s original plans.

By design, God used his truth and his teachings to expose and strip away all the lies the enemy, Satan, had spoken to them.

By design, God exposed every man and his pride.

By design, God declared his gospel message and His plans that He has for their lives.

 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

 

By design, God would finally hear men cry out to God: “God, I need your help!”

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. (Jeremiah 29:12)

By design, these men finally understood what God always wanted…. their Heart!

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

These men left changed warriors ready to stay in the fight and to live within God’s design.