Ever wonder why despite your planning, things just didn’t work out the way you’d hoped? Your plans look good and seem like a great idea… from your calculations it was a-go; except it didn’t go. I once saw a title of a book by Sherre Hirsch – We Plan and God Laughs. We like to think we know what’s best for our lives, but our vision is limited to what we see and what we know right now.
With technology being what it is, we may be able to calculate a probability of success, but unseen variables can produce results that are disastrous. The Bible states, “There is a way that seems right, but in the end it leads to destruction.” (Proverbs 14:12)
Relationships are a good example of this. So many people have met someone they believed was the person of their dreams. They begin to get involved and make plans, only to find out that their dream was so far off. Heaven forbid they married that person and had to relive their terrible decision for the rest of their lives.
God has the perfect plan for all His children and He knows the end from the beginning. His vision, unlike ours, is 20/20 infinitely. Not only does He know the way, He IS THE WAY. Being the gentleman that He is, He waits patiently for us to ask Him to show us the way that is perfect for us. The Bible advises us that in all our ways if we acknowledge Him (seek His guidance), He will direct our path (Proverbs 3:6). We would probably save ourselves a lot of headaches and heartaches if we learned to follow that advice.
Like any good parent, Daddy God does not want to deny us any good thing. Out of love, He created us and charted an individual path and plan for us that is loaded with blessings if we acknowledge Him and seek His guidance first. Notice the will/if. Often we make a decision based on what we think, feel, or see, and then ask God to bless it because we want it and believe it will make our dreams come true. Unfortunately, that’s the wrong order. Because Daddy loves us and we are hell bent on having what we think we want, He will often grant us our permissive will, but that does not mean it’s His divine will. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve done that and later thanked Him, with every breath in me, for not letting me end up with that person or thing I thought I couldn’t live without.
I urge you to follow Jesus’ example of decision making. Jesus never made any major move or decision without ‘going to a quiet place’ and talking with His Father. If Jesus needed to do that, I KNOW I do, too! Thankfully, we have the privilege to seek and consult the one who knows the way that is best for us. He will never steer us wrong.
Peace and Abundant Blessings,
Gail