Plan A and Plan B
Yesterday I preached on The Surprises of God from various Christmas texts. Here is a word of wisdom from Charles Swindoll in one of the most meaningful books that ever came across my eyes, The Mystery of God's Will:
When you get in a situation that you didn’t expect, you have to adapt; you are forced to adjust. God hasn’t made a mistake. You haven’t made a mistake. You’re just going through the process of internal development that is all part of God’s arrangement of events, painful though they may be.
We expected Plan A; it seemed so clear. Then, out of the blue comes a surprise, and we’re left with another whole series of plans. Plan B kicks in as we flex to the Father’s surprising will.
God may be preparing you for a great surprise in order to find you faithful. Rather than running from Him, let me suggest the opposite: Run toward Him. And rather than looking for someone to blame for the pain that you are enduring or the change on the horizon, look heavenward and realize that this arrangement is sovereignly put together for your good and for His glory.
It’s a wonderful
thing when we learn to turn His
surprises into opportunities to surrender whatever we’ve been clinging to these
many years. But it is never easy.
