So here’s what I’m learning–It’s not always imperative to know God’s plan in full.
That may sound obvious, or even humorous, because how could we ever actually know his plan in full? We can’t. And I know that in my heart. But I like for things to be in control, in MY control. But God never promised to tell me everything. Then I would just rest in my knowledge of the future. Nope. Submission requires relinquishing control. He will often show me one step or even a far off goal, but the plan for how to get there isn’t fully visible. That’s where faith comes in. That’s where obedience comes in. Proverbs 3:6 (NLT) says this, “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
It was one of those chills, hair standing on the back of your arm moments. I was dealing with a lot of uncertainty and I had been praying, “Show me your will, Lord! What do you want me to do? Please, don’t let me miss it!” As I was sitting in church during the message, the pastor (my dad) pretty much said exactly what I’d been saying to God in my prayers. “You’re asking God to use you and God says, ‘What do you think I’ve been doing?’” He went on to expound on the value of the daily occurrences, things we may deem as mundane and insignificant. *Pause* Has that ever happened to you? God sent someone with an answer to a question you hadn’t even asked yet? Whoa.
But anyway. That message opened my eyes. Each small act of kindness that the Holy Spirit empowers me to do, every time I read my bible, each time I seek his will and submit to him, each decision he helps me make, and each door he closes or opens, that’s all part of him using me and leading me. It doesn’t always appear grand. It’s the still small voice, it’s the decisions I make in private. It’s the heart fixes he does on me behind closed doors. I was so worried about the big picture and that I would miss his will that I didn’t realize I was walking in it. When we are obeying, seeking, reading, praying, worshipping and submitting to him in the little things, his will is being done in our lives. We just have to remain faithful in seeking him. Psalm 119:10-11 (NIV) says, “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
The small things are the big things. The private things, the heart posture. It’s important to him and it positions us to do everything else he has planned for us to do. Can we obey in the small things and trust him to lead us to the place he has prepared? Isaiah 49:23b (NLT) says, “Those who trust in me will never be put to shame.” And even when we mess up along the way, he knows our frame and his mercy is great. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT) “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
Sometimes doing his will is not the huge, mystical, scary task we imagine. It’s trusting him to guide us when we don’t see the way. It’s the day to day calling. Days turn into years, and years turn into a lifetime of faithfulness and walking with God. When we walk with God, we don’t have to worry about missing our destination.
Golden Cage Devotionals 