Today's Devotional Thought
March 29, 2011 by Wendy Foreman
The Lord's Plan Will Prevail
I love today’s verse. I heard this verse for what seemed like the first time this weekend at a church I visited. And, it has been stuck in my mind ever since. I spent yesterday researching this verse and another verse which is very similar to it: We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer (Proverbs 16:1).
Many of us make plans for our lives. We graduate high school and plan which college to attend. We plan what our career will be and who we will marry and how many children we will have. By the time we are barely in our 20’s all of those decisions seem to have been made.
Now, none of that is necessarily wrong. We must set goals and plan things, otherwise we are just wandering through life. But let me ask you this, as you have planned these things, have you asked God to reveal to you what HIS plan and purpose is for your life?
A lot has been written on finding God’s plan and purpose for your life. It is a popular topic because everyone wants to know what God’s plan is for their life. And, today’s verse makes it sound like no matter what we do, the Lord’s plan will prevail. Which makes me ask, why even bother making plans if God is going to override them?
Friends, I am certain that is not what this verse means.
When researching this verse, I came across this statement, “In doing God’s will, there must be partnership between our efforts and God’s control. He wants us to use our minds, to seek the advice of others, and to plan.??? We must go to the Lord and seek his wisdom and guidance in our lives for what HIS plan and purpose is for our lives. Seeking godly counsel is important as well. But ladies, understand that we go to God first then to our godly counsel. God will speak through people to help confirm what we are to be doing.
And God wants us to use our minds. This statement caused me to stop and think. I wonder if sometimes we depend so much on others to tell us what to do that we don’t even tap into our minds and think on our own. We need to seek God’s direction and others’ counsel, but friends, we must think and use our own minds as well.
What do you feel God is revealing to you as His plan and purpose for your life? Have you sought his plan or are you merely making your own plans? If you are moving in a certain direction right now, do you feel certain that it is what God wants? Was it confirmed in a variety of ways and did you seek godly counsel?
Ladies, let me share something with you. When Rachel and I made the decision to start this website and to write our bible study and to begin a speaking ministry, we prayed and we talked with godly women in our lives. The Lord confirmed it for us in so many ways. He confirmed it through people we didn’t even know who would say things to us through the website or a message we heard that spoke to us in ways that we knew were the Lord. We were and are constantly hearing and seeing confirmation from the Lord.
When God gives you a plan for your life, He will make it clear to you. And if you earnestly seek his plan, he will speak to you. Let me also say that Satan won’t like it and he will do his best to discourage you. But stand firm ladies in the truth the Lord has given you. I believe that God has a plan and purpose for every one of his children. It may not be something grand in our eyes but I do know that it will be something that will make a difference in someone else’s life.
December