by Ducia Hamm, LAS, Associate Director of Affiliate Services

“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

Recently my husband and I went on a road trip to see our son and his family. The 5 hour drive gave us a lot of time to talk about our plans to buy a new home – plans which keep being derailed at every turn. To say we were voicing our frustrations with the whole thing is an understatement.

At one point in our conversation, the lyrics of the song playing in the background caught my attention:

“When God has another plan, walk on and just say yes...” (Oh boy-but I want things to go MY way!)

"When God has another plan, be assured that He knows best...”  (Yea, but God–you just don’t get it–we would live closer to work...think of all the gas and money that we would save.)

"When all your dreams are shattered, rest in His sufficient grace. We don’t have to understand, when God has another plan.” 

(When God Has Another Plan by the Greenes)

When I was the executive director of a pregnancy help ministry, we were always planning–the next fundraising event, new client programming, strategic planning with the Board...

Planning is essential to keep our ministries functioning effectively. But it’s hard work and we may be tempted to ask ourselves, “If God is going to do whatever He wants to do–do we even need to plan anything?”

By all means YES–keep planning while keeping this truth before you: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord.

Sometimes God changes our plans. After the Wise Men brought their gifts to Jesus, for example. “And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.” Matthew 2:12

Sometimes He says “Wait.” We need only think of Samuel’s mother Hannah and all the years she spent praying for a child.

Sometimes the Almighty orchestrates for His plans to be accomplished whether we like it or not.

Remember Jonah?

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah said no and took a ship in the opposite direction. God didn’t take no for an answer and gave Jonah three days in the belly of a fish to reconsider before depositing him on dry land. “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.” Jonah 3:1-3

Sometimes the Lord fulfills our plans. Nehemiah had a well laid out plan to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem – one problem, he was a mere servant for King Artaxerxes. Then something amazing happened – God opened the door for Nehemiah to share those plans with the King...long story short...the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt in 52 days.

Let’s remember then, that even in the most thought out, best laid plans, we need to leave room for the Lord to work because His plans are “to prosper [us] and not to harm [us], plans to give [us] hope and a future.”