Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21 NIV)
It is God’s plan that will prevail on your life so you should cooperate with Him. Before we were born God planned for everyone’s life. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jer.1:5 NIV). God’s plans are plans of prosperity, hope and a good future. 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” (Jer. 29:11).
As I meditated on these verses, I thought about my childhood aspiration. I knew who I was going to be, no one could convince me for the rest of my life that I wouldn’t be the person that I aspired to be. My heart was set on being that person for the rest of my life. Then out of nowhere at some point in my life, God shifted my plans and called me to a life of ministry, which I have been blessed to do for more than twenty years.
But it proved one thing to me. It didn’t matter what I thought was the best fit for my life. What really mattered was what God planned for my life, for my future, and how He saw the purpose that He created me for, from the beginning of time. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do “(Eph. 2:10 NIV).
" Even when you follow your false plan, God will try to get your attention. "
We all have different plans with different motives or reasons. Somebody saw a weatherman on TV and decided to also become a weather forecaster. No one could convince him that he wouldn’t be standing in front of TV pointing to the screen and forecasting the weather. But out of the blue, the Lord changed his plan.
Even when you follow your false plan, God will try to get your attention. It’s up to you to cooperate with Him. Sometimes we hear the voice of God clearly, but our motives, egos and pride can make us take a direction that God is not leading us to. We must be very sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading, so we don’t take a path that’s out of God’s will for our lives. For example, you may be entering into a wrong relationship and the Holy spirit will speak to your heart and warn you: Don’t try that, don’t go there, don’t enter that relationship.
Today my prayer for you is simple. And that is, in the midst of the hustle and bustle, of dreaming and of aspiration, of all the plans that you purpose in your heart, my prayer is that you’ll always weigh them against heaven’s desire, against heaven’s plans, and against what it is that God sees for your future. That you will never find yourself focused on who you are becoming that misses what God saw you to be from the beginning of time. In Jesus’ name Amen,
More has been shed on this topic in the November series on our Digging Deep radio programme. To listen or to download the messages, click here.
