One of the wonderful aspects of this truth—that God has a plan for good which He has laid out for history–is that God is absolutely faithful: He plans and then unwaveringly, inexorably and powerfully keeps on course. This is obvious in the dozens of prophecies given in the Old Testament which are carefully fulfilled in the New Testament hundreds or even thousands of years later. God promises and He brings it to pass, period.
The rebellion of Satan, of men, of me cannot derail His purposes. He has the infinite ability to weave our evil attempts at disruption into the overall outcome of good that He desires. As Joseph said to his brothers near the end of his life: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Gen 50:20)
This is also seen in Daniel’s life, where every attack on him resulted in more glory for God and more influence for Daniel. “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” (Pro. 19:21)
God’s faithfulness assures the right outcome. His plans are so certain that they can be expressed as finished before they come to pass: “…the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” Rev 13:8b The certainty that Jesus would die for us was so solid, so set in stone that God was able to express it as done before history even began.
So, when we wake up in the morning and find ourselves there with God, we are not only in His hand, we are in the stream of events that He is orchestrating around and in us in order to carry us forward in the task and purpose He has given us. We are moved on whether we know it or not. “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” (Pro. 16:9)
We are given opportunities every day to join God in His plan, to cooperate through praise and thanksgiving, in obedience and awe, in self-denial and surrender to His higher and greater purposes.
To live in these truths allows us to see more of the wonders God has poured into our lives: meaning, purpose, protection, challenge, adventure, security, significance, honor, goodness and guidance, to name a few.
Each day is an opportunity to join our Heavenly Shepherd as He leads us forth into the pasture of the day, to know that we are moving forward in the perfect plan that He has prepared, filled with purpose and potential for providing Him glory, for defeating the enemy with praise, for seeing others swept into the Kingdom, for moving ahead with Him.
The negative feelings which will arise from our flesh, feelings of uselessness and purposelessness, of alienation and fear, are an affront to this reality. In Him we can turn from these feelings and live in the light of His presence, His purpose, His plan that is for our good and His glory.
Praise be to you, Lord God, for your mighty, unswerving, unstoppable wise and good plans, into which you have brought us. Praise you that we are in the great stream of your history, where you are moving things to a conclusion and carrying us with you. Praise you that our trust can be in you, rather than our own feeble wisdom and inadequate strength, rather than in government or the weather or money or power.
You, Lord God, Triune Lord, are all we need, for you are the Creator and Ruler of all. To you be glory today as I join you in the flow of events, listening to your Spirit, living in your power according to your Word, being a being of praise. May you be exalted in my life today. Amen.