Tag: Are God’s plans good

Understanding God’s Plan in Uncertain Times

Moses’ choice does not seem hard to us, because we know what happens down the road, but he did not possess God’s detailed plan.

Read: Exodus 2:1-15

Filming this account of Moses’ life would make a binge-worthy Netflix series.   Moses is an Israelite slave baby born under a death order. In rapid succession, he miraculously becomes an Egyptian prince, murder, fugitive, and refugee. God’s plan for Moses’ life appeared a dead end.

Escaping from a death sentence, Moses runs off to Midian. Every bit of influence and all of his plans for the future evaporate into thin air. He discovers himself in the middle of nowhere. All his power is gone. Everyone and everything that provided comfort and security in his life evaporate. The only One left is God. Moses chooses to focus on God.  Moses’ choice does not seem hard to us, because we know what happens down the road. Moses did not possess God’s detailed plan.

If you have not been there yet, you will be. Life veers off course. It may be a result of your choices, or it may seem random and unfair. Either way, life is not what you expect, and you feel stuck.  You wait for God to act.  “Fix this God!” is your repeat cry.  Eventually, you begin to realize that His timing and plans often do not match ours. God possesses more important long-term goals for each of us than we have for ourselves. God’s plan is much larger than we can imagine.

“Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand (be carried out)” (Proverbs 19:21 AMP). “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55: 8-9 NIV).

When life is not what you expect, what do you choose? Do you abandon God or dig deeper into Him and His Word? Do you opt to pout, get bitter and angry? Or do you choose to remember and stubbornly cling to the truth of God’s goodness, power, and love? Is your conscious decision to believe He has good plans for you no matter what life looks like at the moment?  Have you learned to hear His voice, abide in Him, trust Him while you wait for Him to work in your life circumstances? Are you willing to subject your life to God’s plan?

To make this choice is a daily battle. Satan does not want us to win. With Jesus, we have the power to win that battle daily. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). 

Probably, you will not become an Egyptian prince, murder, fugitive and refugee, all in rapid succession. However, like Moses, we can learn what absolute joy is ours when we choose to cooperate with and totally depend on God. Pray and ask God for wisdom. What are some specific actions you can do this week to draw close to God? He wants you to seek the growth He seeks to provide, regardless of your circumstances. God’s plans may be puzzling, but they are trustworthy.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen”(Ephesians 3: 20-21)

Suggested reading: “You’re Late Again, Lord!” by Karon Phillips Goodman

GOD DOES NOT FOLLOW MY PLANS

God did not follow my plans for Thanksgiving. God also has not apologized.

God did not follow my plans for Thanksgiving. I anticipated a lovely meal with our adult children with lots of laughter. The phrase “the plans of mice and men oft go awry” comes from the 1785 poem “To a Mouse” by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. It means that even the most carefully made plans can go wrong. In the poem, Burns apologizes to a mouse whose nest he accidentally destroyed while plowing a field. God did not follow my plans. God also has not apologized.

THE DRIVE TO THE ER

We noticed in the weeks before Thanksgiving that Bill’s asthma worsened. We called the doctor for the usual prescription of prednisone. However, God planned differently. It was Tuesday of T-day week, and the medical office requested that Bill come in for an in-person visit. The nurse checked his vitals. Bill’s blood pressure was alarmingly high. The doctor told him immediately to go to the ER. This didn’t fit our plans for the week. Bill argued with the doctor. The doctor won the discussion. I drove Bill to the ER.

NO HALLMARK MOVIE

The ER staff saw him stat and what we thought was asthma proved to be fluid accumulating around the heart and lungs. Again, not our plan. After all, this was Thanksgiving week! Admission to the hospital followed. More tests and bloodwork. We soon learned that one of Bill’s kidneys decided to take a timeout. As the week stretched out, Bill thought he would return home for our picture-perfect Thanksgiving (like in the Hallmark movies). That plan also short circuited. The days crawled by, and the blood pressure remained in the stratosphere. Why didn’t God follow our plans? Didn’t He hear our prayers? Doesn’t God follow the script of Hallmark movies?

GOD’S ANSWERS TO OUR PRAYERS

Yes, God did hear our prayers, but the answers arrived in ways we never anticipated. We always pray that God will daily use us for His glory. God answered as Bill befriended hospital staff and Christ naturally fit into conversations. Bill talked with people he never would have naturally met in our normal plans.

We daily pray for strength, courage to follow Christ, and that God would look out for us. Our plan was an easy prescription of prednisone. God’s plan was someone looking further into Bill’s health and discovering a walking time bomb. God looked out for Bill even when we didn’t know the situation was critical.

Due to my vision difficulties, my plan is to avoid night driving at all costs. God’s plan was for me to drive home from the hospital late that first pitch-black night in pouring down rain. Talk about the song “Jesus Take the Wheel”! God settled my nerves, directed my route, and I only ran against one curb. God’s plan is best when I totally depend on Him.

UNEXPECTED GIFTS

On the 8th day of his hospital stay, Bill was finally disconnected from the IV and released. Given a large bag of new meds, volumes of instructions, and a schedule for further testing and specialist visits, we gratefully made our exit. It is the season of giving. We didn’t anticipate these gifts.

Other than our ultimate reunion with Jesus, we do not know the details of what God has planned in the coming days. We do know the quality of God’s plans, and they are always perfect, filled with His lovingkindness and tender mercy.

“Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is [deep] within me, bless His holy name. Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget any of His benefits… Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle” (Psalm 103:1-5)

I plan to keep on blessing and praising God, even in the darkest night.

MY UNUSUAL SUMMER

My vision went wonky, and I discovered I have severe edema (swelling) against the macula in my left eye. How does this all fit with the goodness of God?

This summer is quite different than I imagined. At the beginning of the year, I planned a restorative time, sitting on my back porch. The high point would be a two-week missions trip to Thailand. How this has panned out is quite the opposite (except I do have my back porch). My plans came to nothing. In March, my application was denied for the Thailand trip. The same month, I managed to fall backwards against a concrete block wall. I was gifted with a compound fracture of the T-2 vertebrae in my back. My attitude plummeted with both the application denial and the fractured back. What was God thinking?

WHERE IS THE GOODNESS OF GOD?

Then my vision went wonky, and I discovered I have severe edema (swelling) against the macula in my left eye. That same week I was diagnosed with a sinus infection. Down for the count. How does this all fit with the goodness of God? I planned a summer of service and renewal. What is God thinking?

GOD’S CHARACTER

What brings me comfort during this summer? God’s character. “I will feed My flock and I will let them lie down [to rest],” says the Lord God.  “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bandage the crippled, and strengthen the weak and the sick (Ezekiel 34:15-16).

THE BIG ASK

I’ve spent a great deal of time sitting on my back porch, reading (days when my vision is not wonky), and praying. God chooses to make me lie down. Why? In His wisdom, it could all be related to the “Big Ask” I made in the Spring. I asked God for 10 women to build relationships with this summer which would glorify Him and bring mutual spiritual growth.

Did God give me the excitement of a trip to Thailand? How about a body that has felt terrific? No. What He has given me is a body which is not 100% and must totally rely on Him to function. But best of all (as of the count today), God’s given me 14 women to enrich my life. Whether our conversations are by text, phone, or in person – God drives the conversations every time. It is beautiful to see how this plays out. He feeds me, makes me lie down, bandages me, and gives me the strength to continue. Every conversation after conversation, God is present.

What a delightful God we have. My January plans have not worked out, but His plans are so much better!