February 3, 2013

Shattered Plans

Written by Boyd Bailey

Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- February 3, 2013

“My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart.”  Job 17:11

Sometimes, our plans do not go as we had hoped. In fact they are shattered. They’re obliterated in front of our very eyes. You were almost breathless when  your dismissal finally sunk in. In your shock, you could have been pushed over with a feather. Certainly plans are made to be adjusted, but this one blew up in your face. You were devastated. You had positioned your career for this one opportunity, and it failed to materialize. Even now, your emotions vacillate between bewilderment and anger toward God, and your future feels gnarled and disjointed. You feel emasculated. It doesn’t make any sense. The money was there, along with the relationships and resources that were poised for deployment. It was as if the stars were aligned. Then suddenly, your plan became irrelevant and it vanished overnight.

Now you are positioned to start over. It is hard to assemble the energy to withstand another assault on your vision. It is time to give up and give in to defeat because God is still in control. He controls your plans and their successful launch. He can still be trusted going forward. Just because things have not worked out according to your timetable is no reason to quit trusting Him. Trust the Lord with a reengineered plan that will be better than the old one. His ways are much better than your ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

There is no human comprehension to what God has in store if you remain faithful to Him. Indeed, His ways (Isaiah 2:3) can be hard to understand. The cycle of digesting His will into your mind and soul is like “chewing cud,” a repetitive process that requires time and patience. The desires of your heart need validation. This is part of His plan, and this is where prayer plays a vital role. Take the broken pieces of your plan and place them at the feet of Jesus. He will take your shattered plan and piece it back together with His enhancements. A crushed plan in the hand of Christ has much more potential than your perfect plan buried in your grasp. You limit the Lord by holding on in distrust or fear.

Lastly, like the expressed genius of an artist, the newly formed plan has the depth and breadth of a masterpiece. It is an original crafted by the hand of God. Therefore, do not settle for anything less than your Master’s plan. His master plan is monumental and can move mountains. Your desires may be dead, but now is the time to submit to God in a fresh and humble way. Watch in delight as He resurrects your desires to align and connect with His. He has slowed you down so your plans partner with His. See your shattered plan as a blessing, not a curse. God loves to take what is broken, lift it up, and make it whole again. Place your plans and your heart in His hands.

He is the author and the finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). He is the plan provider, and He makes shattered plans better.

Taken from the February 3rd reading in the 365-day devotional book, “Seeking Daily the Heart of God” vol. 1… … http://bit.ly/Tv6y9a

Post/Tweet: A crushed plan in the hand of Christ has much more potential than our perfect plan buried in our grasp. #plan

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© 2012 by Boyd Bailey. All rights reserved.
Wisdom Hunters Resources / A registered 501 c3 ministry
info@mail.wisdomhuntersdevotional.com / www.wisdomhunters.com


Comments

  1. Nicole says:

    This was literally right on time! It felt that it was the perfect time to pursue an opportunity. I had prayed and prayed about it and Friday it disintegrated. Sure, I had back-up plans but my heart was in this first plan coming together. This put things into perspective, I must trust God no matter what. 🙂

  2. Tom says:

    This devotional message of hope and encouragement has taught me to put my broken plan at the feet of Jesus. I have been praying for a desire of my heart and need validation. I’m waiting with patience for the Lord to put my desire in line with his will for my life. The message is a blessing to me. I agree with the previous comment. I must trust God no matter what. I know that he will speak to my heart in His appointed time.

  3. Beth Jones via Facebook says:

    so very true

  4. Cyndy says:

    I am so grateful to have read the first 2 paragraphs of this devotional today. I
    remember the shock, the bewilderment and the anger. And yes some of that anger was toward GOD. I have since learned that GOD’s plans are much better than my own plans. And holding on to the distrust and fear blocks me from GOD and JESUS, with faithfulness, openness, and patience they will help me through whatever challenges I face. I Am Loved


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