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For most people, we like a plan. We would like to know what is going to happen and when. Maybe you like to have a list of rules or expectations so that you know what you are getting yourself into. For a lot of young adults, plans are all people seem to want to know from you—what your next steps are, what you are going to do when you “grow up” and more. We like to have plans, and usually, we want those plans to go according to our own thoughts and ideas. But often times, those plans fail, or change, or just don’t happen. It’s hard for us to look at those and understand how God could be working in that.
All throughout the Bible, we see stories of God at work in the lives of his people, and usually in ways that are different than what we expected. Abram and Sarah had a child when they were in their old age; David was a young boy when he was chosen as King of Israel; Daniel was thrown into a pit of lions and was protected by God; a little girl was raised from the dead simply because of Jesus’ words. God continually was at work in the lives of all the people in the Holy Scriptures, and he continues to be at work in our lives too, even in the ways that we don’t expect or don’t understand.
God speaks to his people through the prophet Isaiah and says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your 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). Through our human eyes and human minds, we cannot begin to understand the things of God. But because of our faith, we are able to trust that God’s plans will always be better than our plans.
Those plans of God might be different than we expected them to be. Maybe you unexpectedly have to move away to a new school or group of friends, or maybe you do not make the sports team that you were really hoping to. Maybe you made a new friend or got into a college you were not expecting to. The ways that God works in the lives of his people is always because of the love that he has for us.
As God’s beloved children, we can trust the fact that the things of God will always be better than the things of man. The Apostle Paul writes in the book of Ephesians, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV). Praise God that we have a God who love us and does even greater things than we could imagine.
Discussion Questions
- Looking back on things in your life, where can you see God at work? It can be something big or something small.
- How can you be on the lookout for God’s work in your life?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, All your works are good. Thank you so much for continuing to be at work in our lives. Help us to trust the promises that you have for our lives, even when they come in ways that we don’t expect; Through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.