Dear readers, have you ever had a moment when things just do not work out as you planned?
I think we’ve all been there at one time or another.
We prepare and plan, all the while praying, yet things don’t workout as expected.
Sometimes we had a vacation planned and the dates were set, your leave from work confirmed, you purchased your tickets and took care of all the logistics and then for one reason or another … you don’t end up going on the trip. Sometimes you get refunded or credited but many times in these cases we begin to wonder and ponder as to why. Why this and why that.
We often struggle to understand why every single detail was working out until the end. We especially don’t understand why we would conceive a child only to lose it.
As a human being it is normal to be totally unable to understand when plans don’t realize themselves. We automatically assume and expect that if a plan was made, then that plan must be carried out.
Some of you studied and planned to become a doctor, studied medicine up until the final medical test; only to find out that you did not get the passing grade to practice. Some of these have costs attached that many can only afford to pay once. What then? It does not make sense to us. So because it does not make sense we don’t understand.
Admittedly it’s hard to understand how a bride can not show up at a wedding when she took time to carefully select a dress, flowers, invitations and invited friends and family to witness the ceremony. A person who partook in the decisions about the details of the music, the photos and the menu.
If all of these elements were planned … then why? Why didn’t it work out? Why was one left at the altar? Why did one pass away before being able to stand at the altar to wed their darling Sweetheart?
Why? We wonder, we ponder and we just don’t understand.
Are we supposed to understand?
Are we supposed to know everything?
Is not God the only sovereign one?
The Bible tells us in proverbs “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
So, when things do not work out as planned, trust God. Even if you prayed and earnestly believed that the Lord was on your side… remember, He is! Your plan not working out as you expected or hoped even, if prayed over; does not mean the Lord is not with you. He is for you. He has said; and it is written in Jeremiah 29:11 “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 hope and a future.”.
The key here is always remembering that God has a plan and many times when ours does not work out it is because it was perhaps contrary to the way God had planned to carry out those prayers you prayed and the great purpose he has for you. Basically, it’s his plan over ours.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18 reminds us to “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Now for those of you who think that the derailment of your plans was due to some evil projection or interference… Even so God is still sovereign. The devil and his cohorts are not match for the most-high God.
For those of us who serve God and are living in an intimate relationship with the father, the son and the Holy Spirit we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Even when you can’t see his hand, trust His plan. We don’t always need to understand it, just pray, rejoice and give thanks.
At House of Prayer for all Nations we do exactly that; we pray, we rejoice before the Lord with singing and dancing and we give thanks. Now, i am inviting you to come and join us on when there Sundays at 12noon.4119 de Maisonneuve W.
