PSALM 138:8 – “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”
THEME OF THE DAY: LIFE WILL NOT GO AS WE PLANNED. God gives His children many certainties or we may call them assurances or even promises. We live the Christian life by them. The Apostle Peter explains this truth in his second letter . . .
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Peter 1:3-4).
Among the many certainties God gives us are the certainty of His love, His Word, His fellowship, His forgiveness, His listening ear, His answering our prayers, and an eternity with Him in the new heavens and earth. Yes, these and many more thrill our hearts as we receive the blessings of God’s certainties, assurances and promises.
There is another side of God’s certainties in our lives too. Here is one for our pondering today. It comes from the nugget’s theme. It is certain our lives will not unfold as we planned, desired, or expected. In fact, it is certain there will be many twists and turns we never dreamed or would desire. And that has always been true of God in relationship with His people. Take for instant the calling of the first disciples . . .
“Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him” (Mark 1:16-20).
Notice what Jesus does and doesn’t say. He commanded Simon and Andrew to follow Him, then gave them what they would become – fishers of men. Then, silence. He didn’t tell them what it would take to get there. He didn’t tell them He would break their pride, self-sufficiency, and fear of people. He didn’t tell them the pain, suffering, and difficulties on the way to becoming what they were called to be.
The Lord does the same for us. He tells us what He is making us into – image bearers of Him, but He doesn’t tell us the winding road we must travel, and it won’t be what we think it should be, what we want it to be, and what we would plan it to be. Or the whole process might be summarized in today’s nugget title – when life doesn’t go as we planned, and that means God’s will always direct our lives, not ours, and that is best, always best. May we find joy in submitting to life according to His plan, not ours.
PRAYER: Father, help me see all of my life is Your story, not mine; not my will, not my desires, nor my pursuits.
REFLECTION: Disappointments are an inevitable part of life, and for believers, they are powerful instruments for drawing us into deeper submission to God’s will in all things.