Job 42:2 "I know that You can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted."
"So what's the plan, Stan?" This is a common phrase I use around my house when trying to decipher and understand the family intentions. We often have a little pow-wow to make sure we're all on the same page for the day. I am a mile-a-minute person; one who would have company every night if my husband would allow me to do so. But I also love to have a plan. I like to be "in the know" and surprises are not my preferences. "What's the plan, Stan" is not only a good phrase, but a wise one in my house.
So I got to thinking. OK, God's name isn't Stan, and I don't mean to speak to Him with disrespect, but seriously, how many times do we stop and ask God, "So whats Your plan?" Yes, if we are seasoned Christians, we know some of His plans. But is this a daily question we ask? Do we earnestly seek out His plan by reading Scripture daily and apply it to our life? Or are we casually going through our days, half heartedly thinking if our actions fit into God's plan?
If you don't know, I am the President of Ministry Travel, a travel agency who specializes in discount international airfare for missionaries, churches, and the non profit world. It was another crazy week at work last week. We had staff members on vacation for Christmas, so we were already working with a reduced staff. On top of that, Europe was ill prepared for a major snowstorm that hit, causing quite a few of my passengers to experience cancelled flights, leaving them stranded here in the states for a mission trip, or stranded in Europe, trying to make it home by Christmas. I had read Job 42:2 in my quiet time this last week, and I found myself sharing this verse with some of my clients who were very discouraged due to their plans being delayed and even cancelled. I reminded them that our plans are not always His plans. I reminded them that no plan of God's can be stopped. I love how God can use what we read to encourage others. I kid you not, every time He impresses on my heart a special verse during my quiet time, I end up coming across someone who needs to hear those exact words. But, if we're not actively searching Scriptures and trying to see how they apply to us, how will we know God's plan? How can we have words of encouragement to share with someone else?
"I know you can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted." In context, this was Job talking to God. It was recorded at the very end of the trials Job endured. Job was humbled, and eventually his material possessions were restored, and he received even greater blessings than he had before. He persisted in trusting God, and he was rewarded for it.
Like Job, we often can't see the plan God has unfolding for us. But Job was a great example of unwavering faith. He knew God's ultimate plan was sovereign. He knew God was in control, even when his friends denied him. He knew God had a plan, even when his family was stripped away. That's what faith is all about. We put our faith in Christ, and we trust Him, knowing He knows what's best.
So with the year coming to a close, with only a few days of 2010 left, I can't help but ask God, what's Your plan? You see, if no plan of His can be thwarted, then it's a no brainer. I want my plans to be God's plans. I don't want to make my own agenda and then ask Him to bless it "after the fact." I want to be zeroed in on THE plan, because no plan of His can be stopped. And by the way, if that's the case, which we know it is, I sure want to be part of the plan and not looking on the outside watching His plan unfold. I mean, not only should we be asking God what His plan is, but we should be asking Him to use us to fulfil it. True to my mile-a-minute form, I want to be right there in the middle of the action, carrying out God's plan for my life.
Let's finish out 2010 and begin 2011 on the right path -- God's. So what's the plan, Stan? Are you in?
---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com