Do I Trust His Plan?
Bad things happen. We don’t get to opt out of difficult days that try our patience and challenge our faith. And yet, when bad things happen to us, we seem surprised. Doesn’t God promise good for those who love Him? (Romans 8:28). Aren’t His plans full of hope and abundance? (Jeremiah 29:11). We use these verses as security blankets, wrapping them around us to protect us from unwanted scenarios falling upon us. After all, doesn’t God only want good for us?
“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
I believe God’s plans for us are not random or intended as one-size-fits-all. I believe they are intimately designed, and most likely very different than anything we would ever have imagined on our own. God is faithful and wise. He doesn’t promise to reach in and pull us out of difficulties, but to reach in and complete His good work in us (Philippians 1: 6), to be our strength as we lean on Him (Proverbs 3: 5-6), and to guide us with loving counsel (Psalm 32: 8).
When bad things happen, Jeremiah 29:11 is more than just a hope that God has a better plan and that good will show up just around the corner. Let’s not forget that this promise was made to the Israelites while they were in a 70-year exile. This verse was not a promise of a quick fix or an alternate route to better plans. Yes, this was a promise of hope to come, but it was also a promise for in-the-moment hope right in the middle of a very long exile.
I need this kind of hope. Do you? How do we cultivate it? We have to trust that God knows what He is doing. Proverbs 16: 9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes His plans.” Am I willing to surrender my good plans for His?
Proverbs 3: 5 – 6 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Am I willing to trust Him when I don’t understand His plans for me?
Isaiah 4: 10 states, “Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Am I willing to exchange my fears and inabilities for His power and peace?
Lord, I believe You know what You’re doing! I trust You to accomplish more IN and THROUGH me than I could ever hope or imagine. Therefore, I exchange my cries for a quick rescue into a commitment to trust Your plan. I let go of my fears so I can be filled with thanksgiving for Your goodness and faithfulness to me. I choose to trust Your plans for me.
