Trusting God With His Plans

Trusting God with His plans surely sounds like a worthy disposition for a Christian woman, doesn’t it? Maybe even the proper automatic reaction, too.  Were I to be asked, Do you trust God with His plans? I’d probably instantly and emphatically say, yes. Yes, I trust God with His plans.  And then something hard to deal with happens, it might not look like it.  And it is, I’ve come to believe, in that moment we have a decision to make: Do we act on what we say/think we believe or do we act on what we think we see.

[cp_quote style=”quote_left_dark”]trust God with His plans[/cp_quote]Many years ago, when facing a testing of faith, I distinctly remember the thought that came to mind: You’re going to need this. At the time I thought I was going to need what I was learning in that moment — waiting on God to heal, provide and guide in that trial.  But what I needed was *all* the different ways God would show Himself strong on my behalf.  What I needed was to see God be God and that truly, His ways are good.  Truly His plans are perfect.

It takes a trial — loads of trials — to see this, to really see that we can — must — trust God with His plans.   The more trials we have, the more our faith is strengthened if we seek to see God in them.  The more trials we face with this in mind, the more we seek to see how He’ll be glorified in the trial, the sooner we’ll react with eager anticipation for His glory and our good.

Sometimes the trial begins in our mind with a Yet.  My word in faith last year was, yet.  I couldn’t see some things, yet. I felt I just couldn’t do some things, yet.  And surely — surely, surely, surely, by the grace of God, those yet’s became But God. But God who is rich in mercy…

It’s not hard to trust someone who’s proven trustworthy. But we often act like we can’t trust God with His plans — like we know better or something silly like that.  But when we’ve been in places where the trial is thick and hard, we cry out… we learn to know He’s all we’ve got.  And then we get that marvelous revelation that He truly is all we need.  The trial’s there – it’s hard, it’s painful, it’s humbling, it’s long…. but in it, that still small voice of the Lord gives that blessed assurance that He is in it.  For us.  For our good.  For His glory.

This journal entry today is prompted by a powerful article I read this morning coupled with thoughts swirling around my mind as I worked in my kitchen.  We’d finished Bible study and prayer… reading in Matthew and the parables Jesus was telling regarding the kingdom of heaven.  Then praying for eyes to see beyond what I see.

Then the article…  The Heartache You Didn’t Ask For ; and as I read it, I thought back on some of the many heartaches I didn’t “ask” for.  But I needed every one of them.  Seriously.  I needed what each one of them taught me — what each one of them taught me about myself — what each one of them, most importantly, taught me about God.  You know, we don’t get to choose the tools for our sanctification.  But bcz of His plans, I can trust His plans.  His plans have shown me He is my Shepherd.  His plans have shown me He is my good and gracious Father.   His plans have shown me All His ways are good.
Seriously.  Even if/when at the time they don’t/didn’t initially feel/seem  like it.  To me.

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