May 16

Written by Bill Grandi on May 16th, 2019

My title is My Plans vs God’s Plan.

Such a mishmash of reading this morning! At first glance none of it seemed to mesh. It was like an ADD reading morning. 🙂

  • Saul & Jonathan are killed. David laments their loss and is then made king of Judah. Abner names Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, as king. Abner kills Asahel but Joab, Asahel’s brother, through some deception kills Abner.  (head spinning).
  • Read Psalm 58 & 59. Both are psalms of David. Psalm 59 has some good passages all centered around God being David’s strength and fortress.
  • In a SHELTER in the time OF STORM, P.D.Tripp ends a prayer with these words: “Please touch me by Your grace so that there’ll never be a day where I haven’t somehow someway gazed upon your beauty.”

I’m thinking, “What?” Can anything be so far apart? Then I read a devotion from Ride On! (a cycling devotion book) that talked about God’s plan. I may make plans but ultimately it comes down to God’s being the ones that matter. As one of the riders said, “The race didn’t turn out like we thought it should, but it surely turned out the way God thought it should.”

I started thinking (yeah dangerous thought). God doesn’t mind me making plans. Sometimes I do; sometimes I fly by the seat of my pants. But ultimately it is His plan that wins out. I’m not a Calvinist who believes in predestination, however, I do believe God knows all, and that includes what I will choose. I heard it put this way: “The plan was predestined, not the man.” The plan for Jesus was the cross but at any time He could have said no.

So…how does that tie in with today’s mishmash of material?

  1. David was chosen king. It was God’s time when David assumed kingship of the nation. He bided his time waiting for God to say, “Now.”
  2. David’s words: “O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress. My God in His steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.” (Ps.59:9-10) Words of strength, power, submission and encouragement (for me) to the plan of God.
  3. All that happens is under God’s purview and timing. It is all to give Him glory and for me to see His hand working in all things.

“Father, let me be submissive to Your plan no matter how long it takes to come about. My plans are insignificant compared to Your plan. Let me not get frustrated with You and Your plan unfolds.”

 

3 Comments so far ↓

  1. That was quite the mish-mash of thoughts, Bill, but you brought it all together beautifully. I know that was God’s plan all along!
    Blessings!

  2. Ryan S. says:

    Bill, Nice mash of reading this morning, I do well to read my devotion and get my studying and writing in.
    Submission does appear to be the overall them… God’s plan or my plan. I think things would go so much better if I simply stop trying to be the conductor and sit back down and play the instrument God has given me to play.

  3. floyd says:

    Yep. Our Father is sovereign over what He made… His plans can’t be thwarted by His creation.