Nothing Can Stop God's Plans

I’ve had some serious plans challenged, blocked and even permanently stopped – ones that I was fully confident would prevail. These closed doors bring with them temptations to doubt God’s sovereign control and his promised goodness over my life. But he guarantees in his Word that none of his plans can be thwarted (Job 42:2) and that no one and nothing can “turn back” or “restrain” his powerful hand (Isa 14:27, Dan 4:35, 2 Chr 20:6). His promises always trump my disappointments and feelings and point me back to his faithful love and ability to not just direct my life but the whole universe. He is trustworthy, which means I can trust him for everything and in every season of life.

On days when I’m fighting unbelief and trying to make sense of disappointment, Psalm 96:10 reminds me that, “The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved." He not only spoke the entire creation into existence in a matter of six, 24 hour days, but he upholds everything and everyone by his power (Heb 1:3). He is unstoppable and able to do everything according to his wisdom and kindness (Eph 1:11).

I’m learning that while faith is trusting God’s Word over everything, it does not mean I have to deny feelings of fear. I can declare by faith that  God is good and reliable and in control even when I feel afraid or like David says, “When I am afraid I will trust in you" (Ps 56:3). It’s natural for me to feel disappointed and even fearful when goals are blocked, especially when I believe they’re necessary for life. But God promises that he’s fully committed to taking care of me, even to my “old age and gray hairs" (Isa 46:4). He’s fully committed to providing for all of my needs, “according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19), and he’s promised that he’s holding on to my hand as I walk through difficulties and disappointments (Isa 41:13, 42:6).

My plans are just that – human plans that are faulty and can fail. But God’s plans for my life cannot be stopped by nature, humans, institutions or my own lack of ability (Isa 14:27). He is able to do exactly what he plans since “power and might are in his hand” (2 Chr 20:6).

           If I choose by faith to believe that he is all good, all powerful and loving and that his plans are unstoppable, I’m free to enjoy him and live for his glory without the pull of anxiety that I might not get what I think I want or even deserve. There have been so many goals that I thought were good, only to find out after a season of disappointment that they were not God’s goals for me and, as a result, they were not what I truly desired. His plans and goals are the ones I want, even when it means giving up my right to understand the reasons behind them.

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen!" (Rom 11:33-36).

Mighty to Save

“We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2Chr 20:12).

     Jehoshaphat uttered this prayer when faced with annihilation by opposing armies. His enemies were so powerful he was confident that his soldiers didn’t stand a chance against them unless God intervened. Though he felt afraid as he realistically assessed the seriousness of the situation, he resolved to put his trust in God’s sovereign rule over all the kingdoms and praised Him for His greatness, love and power (2Chr 20:6). 

Realistic Assessment

     Like Jehoshaphat, we have to face the reality of our circumstances in order to see our great need for God’s help and ask for his provision and deliverance. God isn’t overwhelmed or frustrated by the scope of our problems. In fact, He takes pleasure in coming to our aid and cares about all the details of our lives (Ps 37:23). He’s not just concerned about the big stuff life like wars and kingdoms, but promises that He’s numbered the hairs on our head and knows when a seemingly insignificant sparrow falls to the ground.

     We often assess the difficulty we’re in with a sense of shame and fear – shame that we’re not able to rescue ourselves and fear that God will not help us. Our tendency, like Adam and Eve’s, is to hide and try to use our own resources to solve the problem. But we never have to.

God has provided everything we need in Christ to overcome. If we’re in Christ, we’re adopted into His family (Eph 1:5), counted as righteous and at peace with God (Rom 5:1-2). We can confidently come before Him and “receive grace and mercy in our time of need” (Heb 4:16). Since God’s wrath has been forever removed from those in Christ, we have His undeserved favor, mercy and love (Mic 7:18), so much so that He calls us His daughters and sons (1Jn 3:1). We are His beloved!

Resolve to Trust and Praise Him

     Sometimes God delivers us with sudden victories like He did with Jehoshaphat and his army. The opposition falls before us, toppling like dominoes. Doors that were once slammed shut are flung open by His mighty hand. In the blink of an eye hope springs to life where despair once dwelt, and we stand in awe of God’s unstoppable power. Other times His deliverance comes more gradually in ways we’d never even considered. The armies of life blast through and plunder everything in sight, leaving us with sparse supplies of joy and a sense of confusion. We’re tempted to think that God hasn’t heard us or that He doesn’t care, but His promises guarantee the opposite.

     Vital to living by faith, especially in hard times, is remembering His Word and praising Him for those promises, in Christ, to do everything He said (2 Cor 1:20). Our praise isn’t necessarily that God will quickly eliminate our current struggle, because many times our greatest blessings come from standing firm in Christ through the hardest battles. But our praise flows from hearts that recognize His absolute, unchanging goodness. We can be certain that every one of His thoughts and actions toward us are always good, and that He will work out our current situation, and all future trials, for our ultimate good and the glory of His name (1Jn 1:5, Rom 8:28).

     This commitment to stand firmly on the foundation of God’s unchanging character and all-powerful love, enables us to face the unknown with faith that He alone is in control. The battle we’re in may end quickly or rage on for much longer than we wanted or expected. Either way, we do not have to give way to fear or dread. Like Jehoshaphat, we can worship our Father God with confident, unashamed hearts, knowing that He has heard every prayer and will act on our behalf at just the right minute (Ps 116:1).