Plans Disrupted
"Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails"
Jane’s
plans to become a speech therapist ended when an internship revealed
the job was too emotionally challenging for her. Then she was given the
opportunity to write for a magazine. She’d never seen herself as an
author, but years later she found herself advocating for needy families
through her writing. “Looking back, I can see why God changed my plans,”
she says. “He had a bigger plan for me.”
The Bible has many stories of disrupted plans. On his second missionary journey, Paul had sought to bring the gospel into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus stopped him (Acts 16:6–7). This must have seemed mystifying: Why was Jesus disrupting plans that were in line with a God-given mission? The answer came in a dream one night: Macedonia needed him even more. There, Paul would plant the first church in Europe. Solomon also observed, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).
It’s sensible to make plans. A well-known adage goes, “Fail to plan, and you plan to fail.” But God may disrupt our plans with His own. Our challenge is to listen and obey, knowing we can trust God. If we submit to His will, we’ll find ourselves fitting into His purpose for our lives.
As we continue to make plans, we can add a new twist: Plan to listen. Listen to God’s plan.
The Bible has many stories of disrupted plans. On his second missionary journey, Paul had sought to bring the gospel into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus stopped him (Acts 16:6–7). This must have seemed mystifying: Why was Jesus disrupting plans that were in line with a God-given mission? The answer came in a dream one night: Macedonia needed him even more. There, Paul would plant the first church in Europe. Solomon also observed, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).
It’s sensible to make plans. A well-known adage goes, “Fail to plan, and you plan to fail.” But God may disrupt our plans with His own. Our challenge is to listen and obey, knowing we can trust God. If we submit to His will, we’ll find ourselves fitting into His purpose for our lives.
As we continue to make plans, we can add a new twist: Plan to listen. Listen to God’s plan.
Reflect & Pray
How can you submit your plans to God today? How can you listen to His plans?
All-knowing
God, give me the faith to listen to You when my plans are disrupted,
knowing that You have a greater purpose for my life.
knowing that You have a greater purpose for my life.
You never know what doors will close and which will open. Here is the problem of change again. We need to stay flexible like the biblical "reed" and trust we will not be bent so much that we break.
ReplyDeleteIt's a constant thing, giving things over to God! It's a daily reminder to not dwell and sit in the scary and cold places, but to sit with Him, knowing He has your life in His hands. I need to sit within silence more knowing that he is speaking to me. I don't hear Him often because there is so much noise, the noise is louder than his voice! I pray a prayer of obedience, because I want to hear from Him and follow the paths He has for me.
ReplyDeleteHow apt this is as we have had our plans greatly disrupted by a microscopic virus. I never would have imagined as a young man that my career would land me in Asia all these years or one day I would be teaching at a Christian school in Northern California.
ReplyDeleteI like Mark Hulse's comment that we need to be like "biblical reeds"