The Master Planner

Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."

This journey called life is one full of many choices and decisions as we as Christians are attempting to discover God's SPECIFIC plan for our lives. I write about this often, that I know, but I guess I seem to never fully grasp the reality of a sovereign God. I tend to make figuring out God's will for my life so much more difficult then need be; although I wouldn't say it, I think I expect God to come out of the clouds and write with a giant marker in the sky. It is one thing for me to say with my mouth that I believe God is good and working and that it will all work out for His glory and my good but when the forks in the road come, the trials and the times when I am led to a place of making a choice/decision is when all the head knowledge is tough to translate to my heart. But thanks be to God who somehow strengthens and enables me to remember Truth and to trust even when everything within my flesh says no.

Something that I have had to remind myself of over and over again is that the Bible IS the general road map for our life, but as Ephesians 2:10 says there are SPECIFIC plans for each person and it is that area where things in my mind get tough. The questions pour in...What college do I go to? What major do I invest in? What ministry do I serve in? What job do I take? Who do I marry? Where am I supposed to live? and the list goes on. But do we realize that God has PREPLANNED your entire life? I LOVE THAT TRUTH! There is hope and encouragement in the fact that my decisions aren't contingent upon God's ultimate plan for my life.

I recently listened to a message from years ago by my Pastor Mike Fabarez about this very topic and how to really know God's plan for our life and was so encourage as we looked at the life of Abner and his disobedience in 2 Samuel 2:8-3:1

There were three general principles Pastor Mike reminded me of that I want to encourage with each of you in hopes that you will be so encouraged and reminded that OUR GOD IS IN CONTROL!

First, you can't fight God's plan so don't! My HS youth pastor used to always say, your arms are too short to box with God so why even try; how true is that?! How often do we do this, we are fighting God's will in the secret recesses of our heart. Be still my child He says, and obey and yet we so often don't. We want to do what we want or we think that we somehow have to help God out, but that is not what the Bible teaches. There are so many example sin Scripture where people supressed the leading of God in their life and yet what happened in the end? They ended up doing what God wanted because His will will be accomplished, no matter what. The question comes then, is God telling you to do a good work for Him but you are scared to? You don't understand how you can? Or you don't want to? Stop rattling off escuses and oey! It is hard to fight against the goads right? In 2 Samuel we see the story of Abner and how he tried to do things in his own way but what we soon find out that he finally obeys and God gives him victory...go read the story in 2 Samuel 2-3 and see how and why you can't fight God's plan for your life!

Next we need to avoid the shortcuts. This is a tough one for me especially because we live in a microwave society where we get what we want when we want it, we aren't used to waiting. But God doesn't work like the world does He?! And satan is right there ready to tell you take this shortcut to get God's plan for you, but shortcuts really are detours in disguise. Remember that!

And lastly, we need to think longterm. When God purposes something for your life He deosn't mean that have a problem making you wait for it. We hate that because again we want things when we want them, but don't you think that the God of the universe knows better than you or me? I think so, rather I KNOW SO! It will be worth the wait, the desires of your heart will be worth the wait. David was promised to be king and had to wait 21 years for that to come to pass. Don't think shortterm or you might get discouraged because God doesn't think shortterm, He things long term as He works His redemptive plan and your life to fit into that. God's plans for you are good but He doesn't give them to you overnight. And we need to be willing to wait so we become the people God wants us to be, God has a plan and we need to be faithful and trust His way!

All in all we need to trust God, we need to obey His leading in our life even when we don't understand and KNOW that He is will guide as Psalm 25:12 says, "Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way he should choose."