I sense in the spirit that, at this time and juncture, many people of God are frustrated because their lives do not go as they have planned or imagined they should. Feeling out of control of their lives also give way to the negative emotions of grief, fear, anger, stress, and low self-esteem.
But here, the Lord wants you to hold on to Him, because He is never out of control. He is still in charge of your life, as long as you allow Him. Trust Him that He can protect you, lead you, and guide you to a fulfilling life, in the right season, in His perfect timing.
There can be many reasons why things don't happen according to your plan or happen on time. I'm going to talk about three possible reasons.
One of the possible reasons: It was a bad plan!
In Proverbs 19:21, 'There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the Lord's counsel - that will stand.'
We human beings tend to plan a lot. It's not a bad thing to plan. But if the plan we have is bad, it's going to affect our future, and even the life of our loved ones.
Let's look at Abraham's plan for his future. In Genesis 12, God told Abraham, whose name was Abram then, to get out of his country. At that time, Abram was already 75 years old. But he did not have any son. He brought his nephew, Lot, along. Probably, he took Lot who is blood-related, to be like his own son. And probably, he planned to pass his inheritance to him when he pass on. But it was a bad plan! And a bad move! Why? In Genesis 13, Abram started to accumulate more wealth, and so did Lot his nephew. They had lots of flocks, herds, and tents. Soon, there was strife between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen, because the land could not cater for all their livestock. Eventually, Abram had to let Lot go. They went separate ways.
You see, Abram received a true revelation from God. He started with his own perceived good plan. But his plan didn't turn out well. The plan went bad. It's the same with some of God's people. They received a true revelation from the Lord, but they did not seek God for guidance before they take the first step. Consequently, their plans went bad. It can happen to a personal decision, a business partnership or joint venture, or even a collaboration between spiritual ministries.
However, even with some bad decisions you've made in the past, there's hope for you. Now, after Lot left Abram, the future had been realigned for Abram. God started speaking to Abram again, and God gave him a new purpose and a clearer picture of how his future would be. God told Abram of the many descendants he's going to have, and the vastness of the land he's going to possess.
You see, the first step you take is going to affect the many steps that you're going to take in the later part of your life.
If you have experienced the consequences of a bad plan, ask the Lord to help you to realign to His plan for you. And trust me. Your God is a good Abba Father who is willing to turn things around for your good. However, if you're still at the juncture of making a new plan, seek the Lord for the right one or the right way, before you take the first step. And after you've taken the first step according to His leading, He will lead you on to the second step, and so forth.
The second possible reason: It could be that it is a workable plan, but God has a better plan for you!
In Proverbs 16:9, 'A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.'
Well, this is a situation where we use our human intelligence to have a workable plan, but God sees farther and better. Well, for sure, no one can outsmart God! In Genesis 15, Abram thought of getting his loyal servant, Eliezer of Damascus, who was born into his household, to be his heir, because he could not foresee that he would have any offspring at his age. But God promised Abram that he would have his own child. Abram thought of a possible plan, but God gave him a better one! It was good that he presented this before the Lord. Or else, he would end up giving his inheritance to his servants.
I would say this again and again. Consult the Lord before making any final decision for your plan. The Lord cares for every little thing that is happening in your life. He will teach you and guide you, as long as you consult Him.
The third possible reason: It's the right plan, but it's wrong timing!
In Ecclesiastes 3:1, 'To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.'
In Genesis 16, Sarai felt bad that she could not give birth to any child. She gave her maid, Hagar, an Egyptian, to Abram as his mistress. As a result, Ishmael was born. And that was the starting point of all the resentment, strife, and conflict in the household and among the descendants of Abram.
You see, Sarai meant well. And Abram gave in. Well, he could have consulted God first. But he didn't. Everyone was trying to help God to fulfill God's purpose in Abram's life, before the right and ripe time! And the outcome was, a plan with a good intention turned into a really bad and nasty one!
After that, in Genesis 18, Abraham and Sarah had long past childbearing age when Sarah heard the Lord tell Abraham that she was going to bear a child. She laughed! Probably, she thought it was ridiculous, because to her, the timing was off, and it was too late! It was impossible for her to imagine getting pregnant at such age. But true enough, God's promise came to pass. In Genesis 21, Sarah gave birth to Isaac.
Now, God sees timing differently from us. Sometimes, we wonder why our prayers are not answered yet, or why the plan we have started have not shown any result yet. And the long wait for result can really be testing every bit of patience and faith that we have. But if your plan is given by the Lord, and your decision is based on God's revelation, then always remember Psalm 27:14. It says, 'Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!'
Dear beloved, the Lord has a perfect plan and timing for you. It will probably take quite a bit of your patience and endurance. And it will take your absolute trust and confidence in Him. But it's definitely worth the wait. Amen!
Prayer:
"Father God, we acknowledge Your thoughts and Your ways are higher than ours. Therefore, we humble ourselves before You, and we pray that You teach us, lead us, and guide us in our decision-making and plan-making. We surrender our mind, our intelligence, our will, and our emotion before You. Hone us and mold us so that we will learn to flow better and better with You. We thank You that You care about every little thing that's happening in our lives, and we want to always have You involved in every area of our lives. In the name of Jesus. Amen."