Just when you thought…

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”Proverbs‬ ‭16:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Have you ever planned something and it just didn’t go the way you wanted at all, or take forever to see it come to pass? Oh the disappointment, and the waiting! We all love to wait!…Not so much. We learn in this scripture that in everything we do as we commit to the Lord, He will establish our plans. Him first….that’s the key. In all we do, God has to be first. In our relationships with others, in our work, how we take care of our bodies, how we talk, act, respond to others, and respond to life’s ups and downs. Even HOW we wait when our plans are not going as WE planned or are seemingly taking a lifetime.

Ultimately, if we want God’s best we need to first commit what we do to Him, and He will set the groundwork and layout for us. The foundation of all we do HAS to be with GOD FIRST. Without a solid foundation, what is built is easily destroyed, and that’s the most important part! We need to make that daily commitment to follow him whole heartedly. We serve a GOOD GOD who has a hope and a future for each of us. When we delight in Him and spend time with Him, our life foundation is set right. We can hear Him when we spend time with Him and give Him an opportunity to speak. He will show us what our next steps need to look like for His will and purpose in our lives to unfold. As we commit ourselves to a genuine relationship with our creator, He will help us plan. We need to learn to trust Him and take it ONE DAY AT A TIME. I love that old song!

In this current season we are in, we made plans to build a home….again. We were all ready to go! We bought land and had financing ready to go. Just when we thought we had it all planned out, and were ready to move forward, roadblock after roadblock started happening. Health challenges happened. Peace was not in what we were doing. So we stopped. Paused. Breathed. What’s the hurry?! We’re still pausing and breathing. And it’s HARD! What I am learning is that sometimes something seems right, but God sees the big picture and we are not God. We are learning to trust the peace He gives knowing that we have a God that works all things out on our behalf. And even though our plans are not unfolding like we saw it, He has something He is doing in us and for us in this season that no other set of life circumstances could teach us! I’m so grateful that we have a God that keeps us from the things that are not in His timing. He knows the beginning and the end so we just need to trust Him and what He is leading us to do. What it looks like in the end may not be what we thought, but that’s ok. He knows. I don’t. We have to follow the inner peace that He gives us. When it’s right or the right timing, we will know! I trust He will give us peace and a knowing in our knower! And that will come through a relationship and time with Him. Below are some other scriptures that are speaking to me in this season. I hope they bless whoever reads this and it brings a peace to your life knowing in your knower that God does have a hope and future for us all and as we commit to Him, He will establish us!

“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.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”Psalms‬ ‭37:4‬ ‭BSB‬‬

“A man’s heart plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs‬ ‭16:9‬ ‭BSB‬‬

Father, thank you that our lives are in your hands, and that you hold each of us in the palm of your hand. I thank you for your son Jesus who died for us. Help us to trust your timing and that we grow closer to you as we seek your face and allow you to work and establish our lives with your will and not our own. I love you. Amen.

Illustrations by Haley Punjak

Edited by Rachel Harmening