God's Sovereign Plan

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  Jeremiah 29:11.  One of my favorite verses.  And I believe it.  Most of the time.  I don’t know about you, but sometimes I worry about my plans.  Sometimes I worry about God’s plans.  I mean His ways are Higher than our ways, (Isaiah 55:8-9) and that concerns me.  Sometimes Gods ways are hard.  Really hard.

You have been there, right?  Death of a loved one.  A failed marriage in the family.  Abuse.  Abandonment. Sometimes in the midst of following God, the plan looks like a tragedy.

The so called name it and claim it people just say to believe that God will give you the happy ending and He will.  I have been alive too long and experienced too much reality to believe that God is a Santa Claus handing out good jobs, great husbands and obedient children just because we ask.

What is the plan that God has been asking for you to follow? For some of you that plan means staying in a less than satisfying marriage, giving up a career to be home with your family, working outside of the home when you would rather be there,  taking care of your aging parents, loving a prodigal child, or facing an illness. 

Jesus said that he came to give us life and that life abundantly.  (John 10:10).  Our problem is that we think abundant means a new car, a hot tub, a yearly trip to Disney all with good health and good relationships. Oh we may know better than that, but still didn’t Jesus say that he gives good gifts?

In fact, James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father.  The  truth is that what we consider good is not necessarily what God considers good. I’m sure you have heard it before that God is interested in making us Holy.

And often times I not that interested in being Holy.  I want the hot tub.

It is fascinating and inspiring to hear how God was in the details of things like the tabernacle and how they point to Jesus so clearly.  We have a historical view of it all.  But what was it like for the woman that had to spin the thread for the curtains when she was longing for new clothes?  What was it like for her to give God that perfect lamb when she might have been concerned with feeding her family?

God’s prescription was for them to keep remembering the things that God had done for them.  When we look back and see how God lead us through the difficult times, we get a glimpse of the plan he had for that, we see fruit in our lives.

If my first husband had not left me, I would not be married to my wonderful Dan, and I would not have two of my children.  If we had not left my family and moved to St. Louis, my son would not have met his wife.  I would not have met all of you.  There are more blessings than I can count from situations that at the time seemed more than difficult.  They did not seem like a good plan to me at all.

Looking back and remembering how God’s plan unfolded gives me courage to accept His new plan.  Sometimes He just wants us to say that we will trust Him.  He loves you so much.  His plans ARE for your good.  Even if it does not feel like it now.  Even if it is not your plan.  Even if it is hard.

Trying to hold onto your plan is hurting you.  Tell someone today about how you have seen God working in the past.  If you don’t have a story to tell, ask someone to share theirs.  And then let go of the plans you had, and take a leap of faith that God’s plan is going to be what is best for you.