Devotions & Reflections for WomenSample

Following God’s Plan

We may not feel ready or certain about making a move, but God lovingly gives us a chance to flex our faith and trust Him for the outcome.

Scripture has this to say about following God’s plan, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see . . . By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” (Hebrews 11:1, 8). Are you in the middle of one of life’s surprises right now? Are you at a place you never expected to be? Are you unsure of what will happen next?

Welcome to reality.

While the myth that we should “know” God’s plan for our lives still floats around Christian circles, the truth is quite different.

We live by faith and not by sight (see 2 Corinthians 5:7). If you knew every aspect of God’s plan for your life, clearly labeled in triplicate form, why would you need faith?

The moment of absolute certainty rarely comes. Consider Abraham. He didn’t have a clue where he was going, but he went anyway. Think of Samuel, whom God called as a child. Do you think the young boy understood the scope of God’s plan for his life? Certainly not. But these people moved forward in faith, as did all the spiritual heroes.

We must move forward. In preparation, we pray and seek godly counsel. We search the Scriptures and meditate on God’s truths. And then it comes time to decide. To make a move. We may not feel ready or certain, but God lovingly gives us a chance to flex our faith and trust Him for the outcome.

The Bible is about people in a fluid, dynamic relationship with God. It’s not a treasure map. It’s not a blueprint spelling out Steps A, B and C for God’s plan for you. Instead of outlining methods to find God’s plan, it teaches the principles of finding God’s heart. The living God leads through relationship. When we understand this, we start to seek his face, not his hand. We stop wanting to find God’s plan so that we might find God instead. No longer capriciously wanting the “answer,” we want the one who knows the answer.

Reflect

When was the last time you stepped out in faith and trusted God for the outcome? Do you need to do that today?