July 3: God’s Will Over Our Plans

Kernita Bailey
Bodden Town SDA

God’s Will Over Our Plans

Kernita Bailey, Bodden Town SDA Church

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3: 5 – 6 NKJV

As a teenager growing up in a sheltered and conservative home, I dreamed of travelling overseas to study. The thought of living on a campus captivated my thoughts, and I looked eagerly through university catalogues, thinking of the freedom and excitement of independence! I studied hard, applied for a university in another country, and was accepted. I was virtually touching independence... when my dream crashed to the ground. I was awarded a scholarship; one of its conditions was that overseas study was only permitted if the course was not offered in my country. The course I wished to pursue was introduced that year in my country. Knowing that my parents could not afford to pay for my tuition in a foreign country, I was devastated by this development and cried as if I would never stop crying. I felt that God had crushed my teenage dreams.

But God had bigger plans for me! My plans were limited to having fun at an overseas university for a few years, but God had long-range plans for my future that were designed to start at the university in my country. In retrospect, I can thank God for permitting me to meet my husband at that university and for starting me on an adventure of service that led to life in different countries.

Sometimes, the stakes may be bigger than the choice of one university over another. The house loan might not be approved; the job opportunity might not materialise; the relationship that appeared to be so promising might fail... leaving us devastated. We cannot understand why God would shut the door in the path of a plan that looks good to us.

James counsels, “Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”(James 4:13 NKJV). These activities sound like normal and positive activities – travelling, relocating to a new country, developing a business, and building a prosperous life. But James reminds us about how fleeting our lives are when he describes our lives like a mist that “appears for a little while and then vanishes” (verse 14, NIV).

If we calculate 1000 years as a day, our life span of 70 years is less than two hours (Psalm 90:4 and 10). Compared to eternity, our lifespan is probably less than a second! If we shift our perspective, we will realise that our grand plans are microscopic in light of eternity. God, whose thoughts and ways are higher than our ways, understands eternity because He has existed from eternity (Isaiah 55:9; Psalm 90:2). He wants everyone to be saved (2 Peter 3:9). So, His plans for us are not just for this short life but for eternity! His plans for us are designed to impact our generations and all those with whom we come into contact. Today, invite God to take over your plans and infuse your mind with His vision. Then trust Him to bring His wonderful plans to pass through your life.

Prayer

Dear Father, our vision is so limited! We want all our plans for prosperity, comfort, and happiness to materialise within our lifetime. . . . But You plan for eternity. We ask that You plant Your dreams in our hearts and give us a mindset that grasps eternity. Give us faith to believe that You love us and want our eternal best, so that even if the plans we desire do not come to pass, we can be confident in Your loving plan for us. Take over our plans, Father. Amen.