All According to Plan

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First Baptist Church

I was reading this morning in the book of Acts. At the very end of the book, there is a reference to Paul’s time in Rome:

“And he [Paul] stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.” (Acts 28:30–31, NASB95)

I thought about this and realized that this had worked out all according to God’s plan. God had told Ananias that Paul would have to suffer much for the sake of the gospel back in Acts 9. He also told Ananias that Paul would preach the gospel before kings and Gentiles. The Jewish leaders thought to silence him by dragging him before the Roman authorities, but he appealed to Caesar and that was according to God’s plan. They thought to make him suffer and that was according to God’s plan.

There are lots of other examples of this in action. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, but it was God’s plan to send him ahead of them into Egypt so that they would have an advocate and a provider. This was according to God’s plan. Moses ran away from Egypt under threat of arrest and execution, but returned as a deliverer. Pharaoh would not listen to him, according to God’s plan. Pharaoh chased Israel and planned to exterminate them at the Red Sea and this was according to God’s plan. The Amalekites lined up for battle to stop the Israelites from going through the area to get to the promised land. This was according to God’s plan. The Israelites faced no food, no water, no meat, sickness, and threats all along the trip to the Promised Land. This was according to God’s plan.

Moving forward, we only need to mention the names of Joshua and the battle of Jericho, the harassment of foreign powers all throughout the judges, the selection of a king that flames out in Saul, David running for his life from Saul, the division of the kingdom into two separate nations, and the list goes on and on. In each of these situations and others, it looked like someone was going to frustrate or undo God’s plans only to realize that they could not and actually had participated in God’s plans.

As I think this and how to apply this discovery to my life, I realize that God could use the actions of all of these enemies to accomplish His purposes, then what am I facing that He cannot use for His plans in my life? Someone doesn’t like me or is critical, instead of worrying over it and becoming distracted or discouraged (which is my normal reaction), I can realize that God is using them to drive me to Him for my identity and comfort. Instead of seeing a lack of progress in my life, family, or church as a failure for which I need to become depressed or feel dejected (again, a normal reaction for me), I can see this as God teaching me the patience needed to follow Him for the long haul and not just as a flash in the pan. Romans 8:28 tells us:

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NASB95)

If I believe this, I can believe that God uses everything in my life, good and bad alike, to accomplish His purposes in my life. This means that I can get off the emotional roller coaster of doing better, feeling better, doing worse, feeling worse, but can cling to Him and trust that

“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37–39, NASB95)

Be encouraged today. It will all work out according to God’s plan.