We make many personal plans in our lifetime. And though we can’t see God, He is actively involved in those plans. According to the Bible, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21, NIV).
The quote above is from the New International Version of the Bible. I checked two other Bible versions. They are the King James Version and the New American Standard Version. They both render “the counsel of the Lord” standing instead of “the Lord’s purpose” prevailing.
How these two—God’s purpose or counsel and our plans—interact is a mystery to me. How can God allow us to make plans of our own volition while making sure that His purpose or counsel ultimately prevails? I have a few Bible-based thoughts and ideas on this matter, but I certainly don’t understand it. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Let’s just accept the fact that God knows how to do that.
The Purpose of God for My Life
The way we plan things in life is not necessarily the way they will end up. When I was a teen and young adult, for instance, I never intended on being a preacher of the gospel. Not one time did such a thought or desire enter my mind.
After graduating college, I worked in the engineering profession. I loved what I was doing. I would have been content doing that for a lifetime. But at the age of 25, the Lord called me into the ministry. That was the purpose of God for me from the foundation of the world. Ultimately, that is the place where I landed in life.
The path I was taking on my own did not even suggest that I was headed for the gospel ministry. I was preoccupied with following my own plans for my life. But still I ended up where God wanted me to be.
Don’t Fret the Process
My experience is not unique. Some of you may be where I once was. You are living out your life. But you are convinced God has a purpose for your life that you have yet to realize. And you want to make sure you don’t miss out on His plan for your life.
Based on the words of the proverb writer in the opening paragraph, you don’t need to fret this matter. Instead, keep your heart inclined to God. The purpose of God for your life will prevail in due season. He knows how to make that happen, in spite of your personal plans for your life.
This subject is relevant because if you are a believer in Christ, God has a purpose for your life. I’m saying that not one of us was born simply to live as we choose and then die. Rather, God has called each of us “according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9).
Furthermore, every true believer should want to know the plan of God for his or her life. God does not make us serve Him. But if we seek to know His will for our life, He knows how to bring it to pass.
Copyright © 2023 by Frank King. All rights reserved.