I have to believe God has a plan. With all the ups and downs, two steps forward and five steps back, zigzag lines rushing from point A to point B—I have to trust He is advancing my seemingly crazy life in a direction He finds prosperous.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
When the evening news is difficult to bear and the chaos of the world seems to outweigh the order. Plans. When a friend’s desires and dreams end in a broken heart. Plans. When a loved one passes so quickly we are left in complete shock. Plans. When the trajectory of our life looks different than originally thought. Plans.
You see, if I don’t believe that God in His sovereignty is in control, I become afraid.
I lose hope that God, in all His glory, has forgotten my friends, my family, and little old me. Or even worse never cared about us in the first place. I become distressed, and the world is converted into a caricature of a monstrous beast, carelessly catapulting me into its infected bowels, not giving a hoot or holler about me or the people I love.
Contrarily, when I remember God has a plan, everything that turned out “wrong” is back in the hands of the One who knows me better than I know myself. Even when these paths seem waaaaay off target, I can rejoice knowing God has a plan (Jeremiah 29:11). Despite my having no idea where the road leads, He’s got something better, wiser, more flourishing for my life. When I seek God first and with all my heart, the plans that were not necessarily “my plans” become my plans. God’s plans are so much better than anything I could have prepared for myself (Jeremiah 29:13). And when I seek Him first, His plans become clear, like an abstract Picasso painting morphing into an illuminated Van Gogh masterpiece.
Reflecting on my own winding paths…
“Planning” for a baby seemed easy; I had it all figured out. Logically, we would try, and in the next year, we would have a baby. We were overjoyed and thankful when we found out we were finally pregnant after several months of disappointments. But soon after this joyous pregnancy news, I miscarried. My heart experienced a crushing sadness I didn’t know possible. But I forged ahead through tears and pain holding onto my plans. If we rushed we could still “stay on track” for having a baby.
I shoved my bitter feelings down and told myself “if we could just have a baby, everything would be alright.” And we quickly became pregnant again. The wheels of my grand scheme seemed to be turning. But I miscarried again and was left in defeated shock. Suddenly, no amount of rushing could mend my shattered heart. I didn’t want to make any more “plans”. I had the destruction of two miscarriages to mend.
The hope I felt at the beginning of my baby-making journey was manmade: I wanted a baby in my timeline, and I told God He could take a hike.
But God had a different plan.
When I finally let go of my own plans, God showed up for me in the biggest ways. The beauty that emerged through the rubble was intoxicating. And I knew God was with me, working all of our plans for our good.
Did he cause those miscarriages to “teach me a lesson”? I don’t believe so. In view of those two heartaches, I thank God for the grief I faced because of the deep joy I feel today. Clinging to God in that pit of despair, leaning so hard into Him to the point of not standing on my own, I learned the importance of piecing back together a broken heart and the healing I felt from doing that.
There is also a freedom that comes with laying down your plans at God’s good mercy.
As we faced the devastation of losing a baby, and then another, I had to lay down my plans over and over at the altar of the One who knows me best and loves me better than I could ever love myself. The plans I had for myself were shattered when I wanted everything to work out my way.
It’s cold comfort to tell someone that everything will turn out alright. Keep trying and it will all be good. What does that even mean? Life isn’t a series of happy endings. In fact, suffering is good, bringing deep-seated hope (Romans 5:3-4). In the book of Job, Job laments that his days are passing and the plans he had for his life are shattered (Job 17:11-12). Through introspection, he learns there is no hope for him if he believes that there is just this life and nothing else. And his friends telling him everything will be fine is not bringing him any comfort or peace. Jesus brings hope; He promises eternal life and gives love and grace. When I forget this, it’s devastating when my “plans” don’t work out.
So, how can the character of God comfort us in our heartaches?
He’s got plans upon plans upon plans. Even as Eve took that fatal bite, God had a rescue plan to save us from ourselves, to send a hero, Jesus. The whole Bible can be read as a blueprint for our lives. God knows the personal plans He has for every single one of us. Constantly checking in with Him, we can get our next steps from Him.
He is wise. His wisdom is pure, peace-loving, considerate, full of mercy, and sincere (James 3:17). And He gives this wisdom to all who ask. As I consider His plans, I know that He is wiser about the direction of my life than I ever could be. So, who better to give trust in than God himself?
And finally…
He loves us. Instead of leaving us to our own sinful devices, He sent His only son to dwell among us, to die for our sins; to give us eternal life (John 3:16). He could have left me alone in my heartache. Rather, he surrounded me with community. He held me up when I didn’t feel strong enough to take another step, letting me cry to Him day after day.
Bottom Line
What do you do when all of your plans have failed, it feels like the end of the road, and you don’t know your next steps? What do you do when raising your son or daughter in a world full of sadness and suffering seems daunting?
Thank God because now He’s got your attention. Thank Him for His wisdom, that He is so much wiser than we could ever be. Thank God that His plans never fail. Ultimately, thank Him that He loves us enough to not leave us to our own design. He’s got us exactly where He wants us, in His arms, looking toward Him for our next steps. And those are plans that will never fail.
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits…who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion…
Psalm 103: 2, 4
Next Steps: Having a devotional plan can help you decipher God’s plans for your life. Check out these tips for having a productive quiet time.
