Devotion

God's Will or My Way?
by Paula Miller

I had it all planned out, down to the very last detail. A romantic, week long get- away to tropical Hawaii, just my husband and I. I could already picture the peaceful sunsets and imagine the smell of the salty ocean breezes. The sultry island breezes would blow through our hair and our bare toes would curl in the sand as we’d take relaxing walks along the beach. The airline tickets were purchased, the reservations were made. All we had to do now was wait. The date drew closer, and the anticipation built.

And then God said 'no'.

My first response was an outcry of disbelief much like a child's. "What! Why not?" My next reaction was to list all of the reasons I didn't agree with His command, all the while my foot tapping impatiently against the floor. One - we've been wanting to do this for years. Two - I've already made plans for the kids to stay with grandma and grandpa. And three - I just plain wanted to go!

And that's when I stopped my haphazard thoughts and it actually occurred to me what I'd just said. I said I wanted to go, I said I've already made plans. It was all about me and what I wanted. It seemed that in the process of my elaborate plans I had ignored the subtle doubts that had previously assailed me and instead shifted my focus from God's will to my own desires.

And that's when I began to think about all the times in my life that my own selfish desires, big or little, were thwarted and changed. They were too many to count. I may have had all the best intentions when I started making plans for this and that, but God had different ideas. If He cares about us enough that He knew us before we were ever formed in the womb, (Psalms 139:6, Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.), and He knows the very number of hairs on our head, ( Matthew 10:30, But the very hairs of your head are numbered.), and he gave the greatest sacrifice, (John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotton Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.), then wouldn’t he have our best interests in mind?

It never fails to amaze me how we are astonished time and time again when God changes our plans nad we come to realize that His way is perfect, no matter what. We may never know why, but we do know who changed those plans. God is the one in control and He's the one who decides.

Romans 8:28 tells us that God works everything together for good. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ We grow because of those changed plans and the experiences God gives us. His will and His plans are so much greater in purpose than our minds can even begin to comprehend. Our job is simply to accept his decisions with grace and become clay in the master's hands. Ready, willing, and able to have God’s will become ours.

About the Author

Paula Miller and her husband live in southern Minnesota. She is an at-home-mother of two boys and enjoys writing for God's glory.