God's Plan for Your Life is Perfect
This is Day 12 of my 40 day Lenten Blog.
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside of your Father's care." (Matthew 10:29).
Yesterday I was reflecting on a moment in my life when things went wrong a few years back. I slipped up and made a mistake. We all make them of course and this was hardly my first or last. This was not a life-destroying mistake, but nevertheless, it was one that I deeply regretted. It was a mistake that still bothered me, that I still kicked myself for making. But yesterday I realized how that one mistake saved me from making a much bigger one a year later that would have been a life-changing if not life-destroying mistake.
At the time I made the mistake I knew it instantly. I hated myself and I cried out to God "why did you let me do something so stupid?" It wasn't God's fault of course, and I didn't really blame Him anymore than I blame my wife when I ask her the same question (which I have many times). But I also knew that God knew how stupid I can be and that I rely on Him to keep me from doing stupid things.
But yesterday as I reflected on the chain of events and realized how my one little mistake (that really was not a big deal at all) saved me from a much bigger one, I was floored. Apparently God allows me do stupid things sometimes to protect me from doing bigger stupid things in the future.
God knows EVERYTHING. He even knows what the outcome of every single choice we make will be. Famed theologian and Christian apologist William Lane Craig has given the example that God did not make Pontius Pilate crucify Jesus, but He knew that if He caused Pilate to become governor, and Pilate were put in that position under those circumstances Pilate would crucify Jesus. God knows that if I do A then X will happen and if I do B then Y will happen and if I do C then Z will happen. He also knows each and every letter in between. And He knows it for every person, dog, bird and earth worm in the Universe.
It is good to remember God's power. He simply said "BANG" and the entire universe burst into existence. Every star ended up exactly where He wanted it to be. Every asteroid, every moon, every planet circles the galaxy exactly how He wants it to. The Big Bang set in motion a series of events that saw an asteroid hit the Earth at the exact right time to wipe out the dinosaurs and give rise to mammals and thus humans. God controls it all.
If God can control the entire universe from the smallest sparrow to the largest star He can manage my life. The key is to give Him control. Things get messed up when I take control myself. But even then, He can right me again if I will just relinquish control. I admit it is not easy for me to surrender all control. I'm a doer, not a waiter. Patience does not run deep in me. But I also know that if left to my own devices, I will surely screw it up. So I wait as patiently as I can, praying God won't make me wait too much longer.
Today's prayer:
Lord, thank you for taking control of my life and keeping me from making some truly epic mistakes. Please help me to have patience and trust in Your perfect plan so that I do not try and take control by inserting my own stupid plan. Amen.
R.C. VanLandingham is the author of the Christian fantasy novel Peter Puckett & The Amulet of Eternity. He lives in Florida with his beautiful wife and three wonderful boys.