For I know the plans I have for you...

In 2022, horse trainer Eric Reed experienced a devastating fire that burned his entire barn along with all his horses, important awards, and supplies that he used when training horses. At the last minute, he decided to buy a cheap, overlooked horse named Rich Strike. Nobody took him seriously when he entered this horse in the Kentucky Derby.

When the interviewed by local media, Reed was asked, “What are you going to do now that you lost everything?”

Reed answered saying, “God didn’t take everything from me.”

So, he entered Rich Strike in the Derby.

A couple weeks later, this happens: Rich Strike was in the very back during the entire race… But when they got on that last stretch, Rich Strike proved everyone wrong, made his way to the front of the pack, and won the entire race.

If you watch the video of Rich Strike making his way to the front during that final stretch, you will lose your mind because of how inspiring it is. When Rich Strike wins the race, the camera shows his trainer, and he can’t even stand because he is overwhelmed with emotion – genuine joy.

When it seems like everything is falling apart and nothing is going the way you want it to go, remember that this is all a part of God’s plan.

Eric Reed had just a tiny bit of hope when he entered his horse in the race. But God used that terrible time in his life to produce something amazing that if He told him what He was doing, he wouldn’t even believe it (Habakkuk 1:5).

This is something I have had to remind myself of these past few weeks: when you don’t understand why the bad things happen, remember that it is a part of a bigger plan that we can’t even comprehend.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

Here’s the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUI-ZTnLjG8