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. IT IS GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN. Sooner or later in one’s walk with the Lord these words of His from the prophet Isaiah will be driven home to our hearts with painful clarity and power – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). This truth of what we know of Him and His ways will ultimately become a very real and quite personal experience in our lives. The force of this truth will come home when we are going through gut-wrenching trials, difficult circumstances, and heart-breaking situations and not until then. It is so easy to say to a hurting brother or sister when we are not a hurting brother or sister, “Just trust God. His thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are not our ways.” Yes, very easy to minister those words to others when our lives are not being tossed about like a small ship at sea in a storm, but when the storms come into our “ships”, those words are not the easiest to grasp and live. Yet, they do remain true. And tied to them is today’s scripture. So, fellow believer, whatever you are going through in life today, it is going according to plan, not ours, but the Lord’s and His is always better than ours. But let’s go beyond those encouraging words to a couple of mindsets to develop when we are knee-deep in pain because His ways and not ours and His plan, not ours, is being played out in our lives.

First, despite the difficult circumstances, and maybe even confusion in our thinking about what God is doing in our lives, He is at work. The Psalmist writes, “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.” He did not write, “God might fulfill His purpose for me.” Nor did he pen, “God could fulfill His purpose for me.” No, he proclaimed with confidence, even in the midst of pain and trying times, that God will do what God said He would do. And that applies to us also, no matter what is happening in our lives. The Apostle Paul encouraged the Philippian believers with these words, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). That good work is tied to His purpose in today’s scripture; it is the good work and purpose of making us like His Son the Lord Jesus. This means every trial, every circumstance, every situation, and every occurrence in our lives points to this work and purpose. Learn to see life through this lens, and we will rejoice that His thoughts and ways are not ours.

Next, God’s purpose for us that is being fulfilled is guided by divine love – “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.” Does it hurt for God the Father to conform us into the image of His Son? Absolutely. For instance to develop humility, God must do a destruction work of removing pride within us. And pride in all our hearts will not die easily. In fact, we rebel against this work because it hurts, deeply. Yet, in order to learn to submit to this work of God without complaining, or attack His character by doubting His love, always remember that everything He does in His children and for His children comes from the loving heart of a loving Father. This mindset will help soften the blows from His rod of correction.

Life more often than not goes according to our plans. That is really a good thing. It causes us to realize that everything really is working according to plan, not ours, but God’s and that is always the best plan for everyone in everything.

PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for Your sovereign grace that works all the time and always for my good.”

QUOTE: “God will complete His work in making us like His Son. It is a certainty we may rest in with confidence.”