We thought we were headed for the airport, but God had other ideas. On the way to the airport to fly back home from the beach, there is a narrow, one-way bridge. While it was a little cloudy and rainy, it certainly wasn’t a tropical storm or anything to cause any real concern. Except for the fact that the ocean was especially turbulent on one side of the bridge and sea surge was making it unpassable. We thought we were going home that day but apparently God had other ideas.
Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.
Things to think about:
· God’s ways
are not our ways. We think we have a
plan, only to see it thwarted or delayed for unforeseeable reasons.
· While this is
probably a very incomplete list, here are some of the reasons God may be
directing us in a different direction:
o
To protect us
§ We see this
in the story of Balaam in Numbers 22:33 - “The donkey
saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside
from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”
o
To prove our love for Him
§ Job 1:8-12 - And
the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant
Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright
man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered
the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have
you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every
side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have
increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all
that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And
the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only
against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence
of the Lord.
o Our enemy is
active
§ 1
Thessalonians 2:18 - Therefore we wanted to come to
you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us.
o To learn to
trust Him more
§ Proverbs
3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
o To wait for
His perfect timing
§ Genesis 17:17,19
- Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart,
“Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old?
And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” Then
God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call
his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting
covenant, and with his descendants after him.
·
When have you seen God put up a stop sign or roadblock to your
plans?
o If it is a
time in the past, how did it ultimately work out?
o If you are
going through one of those times now, what is God teaching you?
·
Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper
you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.