This season has been very difficult for me as I try to understand where my life is going. God pointed me to Proverbs 16:9 and said I want to show you my wonderful plans. Will you seek me and take a closer look? My response was hesitant, but I said yes Lord. I want to know what is happening in my life. Direct me as only you know how.
What is the meaning of Proverbs 16:9
“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”
Proverbs 16:9
Your life is a story and God is excited about putting all of the pieces together. The pieces to your story are the characters that play a role in shaping you into the woman that you will become. The characters can be family, friends, a job, a mentor, or events that He divinely places in your path to finish a chapter or to begin a new one.
Proverbs 16:9- Things to Remember about God’s Plans
Know God’s timing
God is also a God of timing!
Things happen according to his perfect timing. Think about all of the things that require precise timeliness. Communication devices are used in many instances of travel: air traffic controllers use satellites to help planes land safely, trains follow a signal system that tells the driver when to stop or proceed, and ships follow a satellite system from space.
Do you see a common theme here? These are all examples of modes of transportation that require a signal to travel to a destination. It is important to realize that in the spirit realm, God also uses His own timing system and many of us are using different methods to get to our destinations. Some of us are driving, walking, swimming, running, and even resting! But through it all, He promises that He will protect us:
The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in [everything that you do]
Psalm 121:8
From this time forth and forever.
Trust that God’s timing is in His hands and not yours
You must trust God to help you during your journey with Him. He will take you places that you may not want to go because you might think the journey up ahead is long and strenuous but take heart because God’s ways will lead you to a perfect place of fulfillment.
God’s plans is the final say
God knows how much time you have here on earth. So allow Him to make things happen so that your seconds, minutes, and hours count all for His glory.
“But I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God. My times are in your hands.” ( My life, destiny, and every moment exists in you God. It is in your hands to do what you think is best for me).
Psalm 31:14-15
Talk to God about your plans
I talk to God about the plans that I have for my life– It is pretty simple. I will get married, have children, graduate with my master’s degree, have a huge house, travel the world and retire with a smile. But guess what? I have to give up my plans over to the Lord because I don’t know much about the future. I don’t have the ability to do that. Some things are better left unsaid until it is TIME!
Ask Him what are His plans for your life
I was so frustrated seeing my desires go unmet that I asked God frankly, what are your plans for my life? Do you know that He is waiting for you to ask Him that question? So many people are puzzled at what God is doing in their lives but they don’t even ask Him. God answered me almost immediately when I asked him. He reminded me of a time when a woman at church gave me a word of encouragement. I wanted marriage and children and She said, “God will tell you the next step when you live in the flow of God. Take one step forward, then He will tell you the next step to take.“
So I made a list of all the things that God has told me to do and I sectioned it off into categories. Try doing the same to gain clarity on God’s plans for your life.
Planning to move:
- Next step- pack
- Next step- move my stuff to NC
- Next step- move in with my brother
- Next step- move to NC in November
God is delighted about every detail of your life
I picture God in Heaven smiling over me like a loving father. In His hands is my book of life. He sends out His angels as reinforcers to help me through some hard lessons. I have gone through several seasons of being in God’s school: elementary(feasting on the milk of the word) high school (Holy Spirit training) and college ( mastery of spiritual skills) in the spirit realm. In each season of training in the Spirit, He was delighted in seeing me look more like Him.
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
Psalm 37:23-24
God knows the order of events
God knows all of the order of events in your life and all of the moving parts. He takes His job seriously and will place you with the right people at the right time. In my life, there were many times that I started a project and He had me leave the project to start something totally different. The lesson here is that God’s order always fits perfectly with the chess pieces of life.
Spend time with God
It is important to spend time getting to know God’s heart and His voice. You can only know about God if you learn about His character, voice, and even personality. God is an amazing friend that you can talk to, a great father that loves you, and a mother that will nurture you.
Related posts:
How To Experience God’s Presence Now As A Mom
How to Encounter God’s Presence Now: Devotional (Part 1)
God knows that you will make mistakes along the way but His plans will continue to go forth
If you are worried that you will make a mistake, accept that in life there will be roadblocks. You will experience setbacks, losses, and changes along the way that will affect your ability to move forward. But this is okay because as you die to yourself and submit your entire life to Him, you will be in God’s perfect will. As a loving father, God loves to teach you skills that will help you to be successful in fulfilling the call on your life.
He knows that you will make mistakes. That is why He gave us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us in our journey to be all that God designed for us to be which is to look more like God’s love.
Do not compare your life to others
Comparing your achievements and journey with other people that seem to be further along in life than you, will rob you of joy and peace. The only person that you should compare yourself with is God’s love for you. When you look at yourself and you don’t feel like you measure up, look to God to fill you up with His love. He will satisfy your thirst.
