“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”
Proverbs 16:4
I’m not the type of person who likes to have plans set in stone, nor am I completely a free spirit. I’m in the middle of “let me know where to be and when, and let’s take it as it comes.” It’s an entirely different story when it comes to God’s will for my life, though. I tend to panic when I can’t see what He is doing, and I often struggle to give Him total control.
The above verse lets me know that try as I may to control my life, He ultimately makes the decisions. This may sound scary, but it assures me that God is directing my life.
His will is perfect, and His plan is flawless. I know I am safe everywhere He leads because He is always with me. I never have to worry or fear as long as I am exactly where He desires me to be. I can find safety and refuge in His will.
I was reminded of Jonah while writing this devotion. Jonah wrestled with God’s plan for his life and the city of Nineveh. He thought he knew better, and that led him to the belly of a whale.
Jonah was aware that he was fleeing God’s call, yet he still wrestled with that fact for three days and nights. Personally, I would be praying a prayer of repentance the moment I seen the whale coming my way. Jonah appears to have been a very stubborn, hardheaded person.
While Jonah did eventually go to Nineveh, he still wasn’t satisfied with the work God was doing there. He became angry, and questioned God. His pride and arrogance led him to falsely believe He knew better than God. Jonah became hung up on his anger and mournfully declares that it would be better for him to die. (Jonah 4:3)
What lesson can we learn from Jonah today?
We learn that it is possible to be directly in God’s plan and to make ourselves miserable there. Jonah’s outcome could have been vastly different had he adjusted his attitude and simply trusted that God knew best.
Today, let your prayer be “be it unto me according to thy word”, and watch as God walks beside you every step of the way.
Devotion by Caitlin Walker
