Day 151
2 Samuel 17:1‐29; John 19:23‐42; Psalm 119:129‐152; Proverbs 16:12‐13
God’s Plans Are Not Always Our Plans
So many times in Scripture, we read about the ways in which things didn’t work out as people had planned. These plans may be revealed in Old Testament stories of military battles: the side that wins isn’t always the strongest. Or in the great story of victory over sin and death through Jesus’ death on the Cross: the Romans thought they had silenced Jesus forever.
Whatever we think or scheme, if God has something else planned, what we want is not going to happen. We can be angry and shake our fists at God, or we can let ourselves get past the disappointment and open up to what God has in mind for us.
This may not, probably will not, be easy. We live in a culture that glorifies self-reliance and self-direction. Self-help books proliferate; they tell us that if we just do this or that, we can have whatever it is we want. But, as much as we want that much control over our lives, we just don’t have it.
We set a course of action and ask God to bless it. We don’t always think to first ask God what He would have us do. If we truly want God’s blessing, we will pray as the Psalmist prayed, “Direct my footsteps according to Your Word.” Then God’s plans will become our plans.
The Rev. Mary Delancey – Deacon