Anticipating God

“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.

Jerermiah 29:11

As believers, we strive every day to find God’s will for our life and to remain within it. Some days, we do better than others.

It’s easy to think, if we know God’s will for our life, we know where he’s taking us. But that’s not always the case.

When Jesus was in The Garden of Gethsemane, he knew where the Lord was leading him. And he knew that path led to the cross. But he’s one of the few examples we’re given in the Bible where the outcome was as expected.

When Abraham took Isaac to Mt. Moriah, he expected to sacrifice his son there. It seemed inevitable that it was where God’s will was leading. (Gen. 22)

When God told Gideon to tell all of his soldiers who were afraid to go home before the battle with Midian, I’m sure it seemed like God was setting Gideon up to lose. Yet when God told Gideon to test the men and only keep those who lapped water like a dog, Gideon obeyed. It was where God’s path was leading him, and it seemed that path led to certain destruction. (Judges 7)

When Noah was told to build an ark, a crazy thing to do in the middle of the desert, Noah’s love for God was so deep and so strong, that he chose to do the crazy thing because it’s what God asked of him. Yet his trust and obedience became the avenue for repopulating the world. If Noah decided he didn’t want to look crazy, what would have the outcome have been then? (Gen. 6)

And when Jonah tried to stray from God’s will for him, because he didn’t believe Nineveh deserved saving, God reminded him that it was his decision. Nineveh had a role to play, and God needed Jonah to bring his message to them. (Jonah 3)

Whether God is calling you to do something you don’t want to do, or that scares you, or that seems crazy, it doesn’t really matter. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “If God calls you to it, He’ll bring you through it.”

He knows the plans he has for you. They are plans to prosper you and give you a future. Sometimes those plans require you to step out of your comfort zone and do something wild.

And you may assume that when he’s asking you to do all of that, the outcome’s going to be great. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Sometimes it simply leads to stress, strain and heartache (as when Job lost everything he loved), but in the grand scheme of things, God will work it all out for good. Just keep loving Him and working according to His plan for you.