by Mel McCredie
If you’ve been a Christian for more than five minutes, chances are you’ve heard this verse from Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.”
To be honest, it’s always been one of my favourites. I have it up on the wall in my bedroom, and it’s become a verse that I seek refuge in. A verse that provides peace and comfort, and reminds me that God is in control, no matter what the world around me looks like.
It can also be a difficult verse to reconcile. Not everything we go through in life feels like God’s good plan. I don’t always feel like I’m prospering, and I wonder what went wrong. Where is this hope and future that God promised me? Promised us all?
If only we could see the whole picture. I am a writer, and one of the best quotes that I have heard about writing is that only the author knows the end of the story. There are times when I really struggle with not knowing how the story of my own life is going to end!
Like any good story, our lives have a beginning, a middle and an end. The beginning and the end are pretty much the same for all of us. It’s the bit in the middle that can get messy. That’s where things become unpredictable, where we need to cling to God’s truth that He does indeed have a plan.
I know I’m guilty of thinking that my way would be better than God’s way. If it was up to me, the middle would be smooth sailing. All these things that happen to us that draw us closer to God and refine our faith would probably be non-existent if it were up to me.
But He’s the only one who knows the entire story. And He doesn’t just know my story and your story, He knows everyone else’s too! Have you ever wondered if what you’re going through actually has nothing to do with you at all, but is part of God’s refining process for someone else?
It’s easy to become self-centred and think that everything is about us. I really try and ask God what the lesson is when I’m going through something difficult. I get so impatient for things to get better. Waiting on God almost becomes a process of begging Him to teach me faster.
But what if it’s not about me at all? What if what I’m going through is God’s way of reaching someone else too? As much as I might want to be, I’m not the author of my own journey. I have no idea how God is going to use my struggles to impact those around me.
In all the years I’ve been a Christian, I still need a reminder from God that He’s the one in control. He’s the one with the plan. When I lash out in desperation and ask Him why, the response is always the same. His gentle whisper pierces my defences and says, do you trust me?
That’s what brings me to my knees. That’s what makes me pause, humble myself before Him and remember who’s in charge. Of course I trust God. But I’m honest enough to admit that sometimes I doubt Him too. That I’m sure my way would definitely be better.
What I’ve learned is that trusting God doesn’t protect me from bad things happening. But it does give me peace knowing that when I don’t have the strength to face what’s coming, He will be there with me. Control is an illusion, and no amount of fear or worry is going to change the outcome.
So in my darkest moments, I let my soul cry out to the only one who knows the end of the story. And then I remind myself to trust Him to lead me through the messy middle. Because as difficult as that may be, I know that life with God is so much better than life without Him.
Melinda is a writer who shares her life experiences with God on her blog, www.thedevotedlife.com She also has a self-published book. Melinda attends Gateway Baptist Church with her husband Drewe and two daughters.
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