Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Exodus 23:29
"But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply and threaten you."
God promised the Isrealites their own land, full of abundance and blessings. He promised to do all that was necessary to make sure they could claim this land. But this was by not an instantaneous thing. God thought out His plan for His people, and made sure he acted in their best interest.
Reflection:
I am particularly fond of this passage, and is one I currently really needed to read. It might not be something a lot of people really think about, but I really take comfort in knowing that God puts this kind of intuitive thought into his plans. Not that he needs any sort of blessing or approval from me, but I do enjoy knowing that fact. God could have easily cleared the land immediately and just let His people deal with the consequences afterwards, but he did not, because he wanted to be sure not only that they received their promise, but also could handle what came with that promise. Not that God's intelligence is ever in question, but I think it is encouraging to read how he uses this intelligence to make well-thought out decisions to make sure he finds the perfect plan for all of us.
I don't always understand God's plan in my life. "I rarely understand" may be a more accurate statement, and I certainly do not understand where he is taking me right now. But I can take away two comforting reflections from this verse. 1) God has a well thought out plan for me, and 2) God will take precautions to make sure I can handle His plan for me. He will take this amount of care in all of our lives, as long as we have faith and let Him.
I have a bad habit of questioning the Lord's timing. Why did this just happen? Why didn't this happen today? Why did God put something on my heart that didn't come to fruition? I have to consistently remind myself that God doesn't have "bad timing." His plans aren't "flawed." God assesses all of our situations, all of our daily circumstances and guides us in the right direction. It is up to us to follow this guidance. It is up to us to trust Him. Up to us to believe in Him. And up to us to keep serving Him, to keep glorifying Him, while doing our due diligence in walking in His plan for us.
Final Thought:
Believing in God's plan isn't always easy. I write this partially trying to preach to myself, because I can't seem get myself to 100% believe that there is a plan for me right now, and consequently have been finding myself lately regularly questioning the plan I thought God had guided me towards, the plan I thought He had put on my heart just a short time ago. But this is not for me to question. Not for me to doubt. And not for me to give up on just because His plan doesn't meet my "impatient wants."
Find a verse that you can reflect on when you find yourself questioning the plan for your life. Maybe it's a verse like this that shows just how intelligent God is in thinking through ALL of the details of your plan. Maybe it's one of the hundred verses that speak to how caring God is, how much God loves you, and how much God wants to see us succeed. Whatever helps you, find it. Figure out a way to find peace in knowing that God is looking out for you, has a plan for you, and will make sure you can handle all of the things in His plan, even the most minor details.
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