He's Not Finished Yet
"But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold." Psalm 106:13
I watched the waves move in and out on the sandy beach, a foggy day, sitting with my knees to my chest, tears running down my cheeks. Thank God for the beach. A place to breathe. To hurt. To wait for His Spirit to speak. It was one of the hardest days of my life, and the main question on my mind was, "What happened, God???" I thought I was following His plan. I thought I was doing what He had asked of me. And here I was, feeling split down the middle unable to put myself back together. In those moments, it feels impossible to see God's plan. It is easy to feel betrayed and misled.
This morning as I read through the Psalms, one verse jumped out at me that reminded me of my journey through the twists and turns of the spiritual life. Psalm 106 runs through the history of Israel's relationship with Yahweh. The twists and turns of their hearts toward Him, His pain at their rejection and distrust, His attempts to win them back and their continued ups and downs in trust and love. What stood out to me this time is the cost of forgetting. When Israel forgot what God had done and what He had promised them, they "did not wait for his plan to unfold." The result was that over and over again they chose to trust their own ways instead of trusting in God's plan and provision. The result was Sarah giving Hagar to Abraham, trusting idols of wood and stone, making deals with peoples who would later betray them, disease, attempted coups, wandering 40 years in the desert and even child sacrifice. Not things I would want in my life, thank you very much...
So many times in my life I have lost sight of what God has promised me. I begin to do things my own way instead of walking the path God has laid out before me. And when I do, I inevitably create a mess. The temptations are so strong! When we lose sight of God's hand in our lives we begin to feel the need to defend ourselves, prove ourselves, change ourselves, and mold ourselves to the people or circumstances around us. What would happen instead if we could "wait for his plan to unfold"? What would happen if we could trust His plan and His way, not trying to force things to happen in our timing, not trying to control how people see us, love us, or whether or not our gifts are recognized or valued?
In this New Year, as you reflect on the dreams He has placed in your heart you may be rejoicing at seeing the fruit of your patience and obedience or you may be grieving the pain of unfulfilled expectations. Regardless, as you consider that God is not finished yet, that He is still working out His plan in your life and in the lives of those around you, how does that impact how you step into this next season? Can you wait for His plan to unfold? The waiting gives us both humility and hope. In our successes we remember that He still has more He wants to do. In our losses and failures we remember that He still has more He wants to do. Can we live obediently, walking in trust that as we do He will unfold His plan for us and for this world He loves so much?
Sometimes the unfolding of His plan is in a roundabout way that can be painful and infuriating and confusing; yet, I have found that the unfolding itself is purposeful. I would not be who I am today if I had not had that moment on the beach (and many others). As I look back on that day, the pain was a path that led me to greater intimacy with the Spirit and the unfolding of gifts I did not know He had given me. I would not give those moments up for the world. And I never could have predicted that that was a part of the unfolding of His plan. Remember what He has told you. Remember who He is. Remember what He has done. If it looks like He is not there, it just means He is not finished yet. Wait for His plan to unfold.
I watched the waves move in and out on the sandy beach, a foggy day, sitting with my knees to my chest, tears running down my cheeks. Thank God for the beach. A place to breathe. To hurt. To wait for His Spirit to speak. It was one of the hardest days of my life, and the main question on my mind was, "What happened, God???" I thought I was following His plan. I thought I was doing what He had asked of me. And here I was, feeling split down the middle unable to put myself back together. In those moments, it feels impossible to see God's plan. It is easy to feel betrayed and misled.
This morning as I read through the Psalms, one verse jumped out at me that reminded me of my journey through the twists and turns of the spiritual life. Psalm 106 runs through the history of Israel's relationship with Yahweh. The twists and turns of their hearts toward Him, His pain at their rejection and distrust, His attempts to win them back and their continued ups and downs in trust and love. What stood out to me this time is the cost of forgetting. When Israel forgot what God had done and what He had promised them, they "did not wait for his plan to unfold." The result was that over and over again they chose to trust their own ways instead of trusting in God's plan and provision. The result was Sarah giving Hagar to Abraham, trusting idols of wood and stone, making deals with peoples who would later betray them, disease, attempted coups, wandering 40 years in the desert and even child sacrifice. Not things I would want in my life, thank you very much...
So many times in my life I have lost sight of what God has promised me. I begin to do things my own way instead of walking the path God has laid out before me. And when I do, I inevitably create a mess. The temptations are so strong! When we lose sight of God's hand in our lives we begin to feel the need to defend ourselves, prove ourselves, change ourselves, and mold ourselves to the people or circumstances around us. What would happen instead if we could "wait for his plan to unfold"? What would happen if we could trust His plan and His way, not trying to force things to happen in our timing, not trying to control how people see us, love us, or whether or not our gifts are recognized or valued?
In this New Year, as you reflect on the dreams He has placed in your heart you may be rejoicing at seeing the fruit of your patience and obedience or you may be grieving the pain of unfulfilled expectations. Regardless, as you consider that God is not finished yet, that He is still working out His plan in your life and in the lives of those around you, how does that impact how you step into this next season? Can you wait for His plan to unfold? The waiting gives us both humility and hope. In our successes we remember that He still has more He wants to do. In our losses and failures we remember that He still has more He wants to do. Can we live obediently, walking in trust that as we do He will unfold His plan for us and for this world He loves so much?
Sometimes the unfolding of His plan is in a roundabout way that can be painful and infuriating and confusing; yet, I have found that the unfolding itself is purposeful. I would not be who I am today if I had not had that moment on the beach (and many others). As I look back on that day, the pain was a path that led me to greater intimacy with the Spirit and the unfolding of gifts I did not know He had given me. I would not give those moments up for the world. And I never could have predicted that that was a part of the unfolding of His plan. Remember what He has told you. Remember who He is. Remember what He has done. If it looks like He is not there, it just means He is not finished yet. Wait for His plan to unfold.
Here's a song that so well expresses this truth!
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