Nothing can humble us like our life not turning out the way we planned. Maybe we always planned to travel but never had the extra money or time to take that long flight. Maybe our plans depended on our physical ability to walk or climb or run, but our bodies changed or became limited for one reason or another. Maybe we planned to be in relationship with a person for our whole life, yet that relationship ended. Maybe we trained or got educated for a certain job or career but ended up finding out that it wasn’t right for us. You get the point.
When life doesn’t go to plan, we suddenly snap out of our own little world for a moment. We often become more aware of our needs and neediness when we realize we don’t have as much control of our lives as we thought, or were led to believe. In the Psalms, we are reminded over and over of God’s goodness in providing us with what we need to live a life that pleases Him. “All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time” (Psalm 104:27). God knows how needy we are. We are always, utterly and completely, in need of His provision.
We can easily forget to ask our Shepherd if that plan we had in our minds was where He actually was leading us (where He will provide and sustain us) or if it’s something we’re striving for on our own strength, apart from His will. I’ve learned the hard way that if I’m striving out of my own selfish will, my plans will wither away into nothing. We cannot sustain ourselves; we easily forget that we are only sheep.
I can’t recall a time in my adult life when I had more opportunities than I have in the last two years. What changed in that time? My plans. I had to let everything I thought I knew about where my life was going and start over, this time asking my Shepherd first where we were going. My spirit has been lighter, my outlook has been better, and more doors have been opened to me than I remember ever having before. And even now, I still sometimes wake up with the old mindset of having to have a plan of my own. I’m constantly having to intentionally align my heart with God’s, and have an open hand, ready to receive His plans.
God’s plan will always last, the plans that aren’t aligned with His will always fade away and be forgotten. What matters to me now is gratitude, finding joy in the life I’ve been given, and rejoicing and worshiping God. Many Psalms tell us that these are the things that pleases our Shepherd, and are largely what He made us to do; to enjoy God’s presence, care, and gifts, and to be enjoyed by God. “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being” (Psalm 104:33). To praise the Lord, we need to be aware of the reality that God has a hand in all the things in our lives. To praise God, we need to know (and remember!) that our lives and all that is in them is from Him. As this Psalm indicates, we only have a short time to live, and the best use of our time involves focusing on God and His goodness. “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created” (James 1:16-18).
What a privilege to be chosen to have life. Living also is an incredible privilege! God chose us—you—to give His Spirit to. He has given us the Breath of Life that comes only from Him; we have all been given a precious gift. That was His plan, and His plan is the One that will endure.
May we all follow the Shepherd of our lives as we seek to know His plans for us. Amen.
“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
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