When God Interrupts Your Plans

Bible

That’s how we think, isn’t it? When we find ourselves right in the middle of having to readjust our plans because someone or something messes up our perfectly planned out Calendar-For-The-Week…

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s plan that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

I memorized this verse quite some time ago because I am the type of person that needs to be reminded once in a while that God is in control, and I am not. Starting my day in prayer and in the Word is not just a spiritual discipline that I cross off my to-do list. It is an absolute necessity for getting my heart and mind prepared for the day and for anything that God might choose for me in the moments that 16-18 hours allow me every single day.

What then, are we to do when God “interrupts” our plans? While our first reaction might be to ask “why?”, we must come to a crisis of faith moment when we actually let go of our own expectations of time. As a believer who confesses that Jesus is Lord, I want to recognize the privilege it is that God has chosen to step in and change my plan to His.

When I open my heart to see God’s interruption from His perspective, it is then that my attitude is changed and I am able to see more clearly the possibilities. If my God, who is Sovereign wants to step in and change my plans, then who am I to argue? What does this type of surrender look like?

For one, gratitude should replace grumbling. We often get our plans messed up and immediately see it as a negative thing, when in reality, God Himself sees it very differently. He always wants to change our obstacles into opportunities! Do you understand what an awesome thing it is that the God of the universe loves you and wants to show you how to live?

Secondly, a heart change in our attitude should lead us to a new perspective. Maybe God just wants you to get your eyes off you and turn your attention to someone else who needs encouragement or an unexpected blessing. Maybe He wants to reshape your desires and align your plans and purposes with what He has designed for you. Or maybe, just maybe, He is trying to get you to slow down and be still in His presence.

BE STILL

All I know is, that when I choose to surrender to God in this way, He often uses the “interruption” to teach me something —but more importantly, to reveal Himself in a way I might have missed if I had been allowed to follow through with what I thought was the best plan. I don’t always understand what God is doing, especially when I’m going through something difficult, but my confidence lies not in the circumstance, but the God of my circumstance. He knows, He loves, and He provides. Always. Sometimes the most important thing I gain is a fresh awareness of His presence. Walking through the trials of this life often prepare me for opportunities in the future.

Plans change. Life has interruptions. We can choose to let those things control our attitude and the outcome, or we can look to the One who holds it all together in the first place. What is it that has thrown you for a loop lately? Let it go and let God show you the “what now?”. Ask Him. Be willing to follow where He leads. If the path is unclear, step out in faith and ask Him to guide you. God is not a God of confusion. He gives us His Word and His Holy Spirit to teach us and to show us how to obey. Trust that even when you are uncertain, that when you do the next right thing you know to do, God is big enough to interrupt your plans if they are not what He desires for you.

**If you are following my Scripture Memory Challenge, 2 Peter 1:3 will be the verse we are memorizing for this short but powerful book!