Questioning God’s Plans For You {while waiting}

THIS, Lord? Even THIS is part of your plan? How can it be?

© Ahmad Firdaus Ismail | Dreamstime.com

Have you gotten there yet? The point where you are questioning God’s plans for you? Questioning whether God is really for you? Questioning if God is really good?

I mean, we’ve all heard the Bible verses that tell us these truths:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV)

But, what happens when the rubber hits the road? What happens when disaster strikes? What happens when you’re waiting, waiting, waiting for God’s plan to come to life?

Are these truths what you cling to? Are these truths so deeply rooted in your heart that you know with a great confidence that no matter what happens it is for your good?

I know we all have moments of weakness. Moments when we get overwhelmed, tired, and just feel empty. When we’ve got no more to give. When we can’t see a way out.

In those moments, I think it’s normal to have these questions about whether God’s plans are best for us. I love what Angie Smith says in her book I Will Carry You*, when writing about the heartache and pain of losing her child, she said this about God, “He isn’t threatened by my heartbreak and questioning any more than He is threatened by a rainstorm. He knows that the rain will fall. He knows that I will fall.”

We are sinners, we cannot be expected to encounter suffering and trials without having moments where we question God’s goodness and His plans. However, here is another amazing truth from Angie’s book,

“To hurt so deeply is a sign that we live in a fallen world, not that we serve a small God.”

We live in a fallen world, that is why we are experiencing these difficulties. Our hurt does not mean that God is small, nor does it mean that God is not for us. Our hurt is a reminder of the fallen and temporary nature of our current world. There is something that happens when we are reminded that we are living in the fall of mankind. These reminders can serve to create a longing for our true Home.

Life may be difficult. We may have moments where we have many questions. For this very reason, we must have a firm foundation that is found in Christ.

We need to have a firm foundation that cannot be shaken. A foundation that is rooted in the amazing reality that we have a Lord and Savior who is with us, right here in this moment, and guiding us along the way of His plans, which yes includes even this, and yes it is good!

I wrote these words earlier this year, and they are still true,

It has been so hard to continue on and press forward in spite of no tangible progress. However, today I am encouraged. I know that God has AMAZING plans for us, plans that I just need to wait a little bit longer for. He is completely trustworthy and worthy of praise. I am continuing to remind myself these things each day, even when it is hard.

It is during these hard times that He is carrying me through. I’m sure I could succumb to these feelings and not be able to get out of bed. However, God is giving me the strength to press forward and serve Him while I wait.

Although some days it is so hard, I know that this time and the past five years has been teaching me to trust in God and believe that He has plans for my life, and be able to trust Him for the timing.

God has plans for each of our lives. Those plans are for our good. Those plans include our waiting, for some reason. Even though these times are difficult, they are part of God’s ultimate plan for our ultimate good. We do not see the end our circumstances, but God does. This is part of our plan. Trust. Press forward. Hold firm.

Question for you:

What helps you stay strong and run this race each day?

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This post is part of my 31 Days of Waiting series. Read all the posts in the series here.