Proverbs 19:21(NLT) says, “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” Making many plans is what we humans do. We’re constantly making decisions and choices that we think will lead us where we want to go. God tells us in Proverbs 19:21 that we can certainly do this, but we must always maintain a key piece of knowledge in the front of our minds. It is the reality that God’s purpose will always and forever prevail. This should serve as motivation for us to get our plans in alignment with God’s purpose. Whether our plan is for spiritual growth, personal development, healing, financial increase, marriage, or better relationships; it doesn’t matter what area of our lives it concerns. If our motivation is to commit our plans to God’s hands, He will use them to teach us. Then we can shape and mold our plans according to His purpose. This way, the outcome will always be pleasing to Him most importantly, and it will exceed our expectations as well.
It is common for most people to cast their high hopes into a situation, person, or another blessing they believe will greatly add to their lives. Jesus Christ said in John 10:10(NKJV), “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Our Redeemer tells us why he came to the earth. He came to give us a rich and satisfying life, and most of us realize that this kind of existence is extremely desirable. We want a good relationship with God, good relationships with family and friends, good health, a good job, money in the bank, and plenty to share with others. Our wonderful Savior made all these beautiful blessings available to us. And because most of us trust that these blessings are attainable, we activate a plan to take possession.
Disappointment becomes a part of the picture when we reach out to grab these blessings and find that we lack the spiritual strength to take hold of them. Disappointment is a very impactful feeling, and if we don’t know how to handle it, disappointment can leave us in a state of being where we are constantly sinking into fear. Instead of going to God and allowing Him to teach and strengthen us, many of us internalize our disappointment as a ‘no’ from Him, when in truth it’s a lesson in surrender. When our faith isn’t quite where it needs to be, the answer isn’t to settle back into old ways of dissatisfaction or to develop a fear of trying. The answer is to do as Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 6:33(NLT), “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Proverbs 19:21 affirms that God’s purpose prevails. Jesus Christ tells us we ought to be praying for this. In Matthew 6:10, he tells us to pray that God’s Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. When it comes to our plans, this must be our prayer. We must pray not only that God’s Will is done on earth as it is in heaven, but that we are postured in His Will in such a way that we are working with and not against it. In John 5:19(NLT), Jesus Christ said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” It’s this desire to see what the Father is doing, and it’s also the motivation to do the things we see Him doing, that sets us on the right path.
We can never assume that our desires are entirely our own. They are a pathway for us to pay attention and be focused on what God is doing. Heavenly Father dreams a bigger dream for us than we can ever dream for ourselves. He knows the desires of our hearts, and He will help us shape and mold our plans to His glory. Ephesians 1:11 says that because we are united with Christ, we have received a rich inheritance from Heavenly Father, for He chose us in Christ way before we entered our mother’s womb, and He makes everything work out according to His excellent plans. It’s in Jesus Christ that we come to know who we are and what we’re living for. God’s Will is that we allow Him to make us intelligent, so we know Him as intimately as we can and stay focused and clear about what He’s called us to do.
From the very depth of our beings, we must understand that there doesn’t exist for us a greater plan than the one God has orchestrated. He wants our hearts to be flooded with the light of Christ, so we understand that He’s given us a hope that won’t fail. Sometimes, we look at the plans we have or have had in the past, and all we see is failure. Some of us listen to the enemy when he tells us that things will never work out the way we want, or that we’re not worthy of the life we desire. These are lies from the father of lies, and we must not ever listen to them. We owe it God to become active in the lively hope He’s given us through Christ. This means we’ve got to do some things differently, so that we stop chasing the thing that isn’t working and begin to move by the power of the Holy Spirit.
If you’re wondering if a shift is necessary for the fulfillment of your plans; yes, it most definitely is. If you’re wondering if a surrender to the Holy Spirit’s direction and guidance is required; yes, there’s no other way. Will you need to bring your plans in alignment with God’s purpose? If living your destiny is the goal, Absolutely! Amos 3:3 asks the question if two can walk together unless they agree. The answer is ‘no’, they cannot. God wants you unified with His purpose because He wants to show you what He can do. In Colossians 2:7, Heavenly Father tells us that His plan is that our roots are firmly planted in Christ, so that we are not tossed about by all the distractions the devil throws our way. He tells us, “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” When this is our priority, God will amaze us with what He will do for our lives.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“God Will Show You What He Can Do!”, written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.