God is really big! Really, really big, actually. The greatness and bigness of God has been on my heart a lot lately. In the book of Isaiah the prophet says: “[God] has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span” (Is 40:12). Have you stood next to the ocean or stared up at the sky on a starry night lately? They’re pretty big, huh? The bible reminds us that God measures the oceans and heavens by the span of his hand! Things don’t really come bigger than God. And in the light of God’s greatness the truth of my smallness is revealed.
It is hard for me to fathom these truths. What has been even harder for me is to accept them. If I believe God is really big and that I am really small, then that means that I am not, or at least should not be, at the center of everything. Makes sense, right? Sure it does. My brain and my heart both agree that God is big. He should be first. He is in charge. But, when I take a moment to reflect, it is easy to see my actions suggest otherwise.
You see, I always have a plan. I always have a goal. I am a doer. A fixer. A builder. I get things done. I wake up in the morning and ask myself “What do I need to get done today?” …and then I do them. This was my daily routine, that is, until I came across Job 42:2, where Job acknowledges God by saying, “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.” It is short and sweet, but boy does this verse pack a punch.
If God is doing something, if he already has a plan and that plan can’t be stopped, why do I need one? I realized that maybe I should be waking up and asking myself “What is God doing today and how can I get involved?” According to Job, God’s plan is perfect. His plan will come to fruition; it is going to happen with our without me.
So, I guess that leaves us with a new question, doesn’t it? What happens when our plans don’t match up with God’s plan?
This is where things can get tough. We have two choices: we can trust in God and His perfect plan, or we can decide to “play god” ourselves and do what we think is best.Now, I am not saying that it is easy to surrender to God’s will, plan or timing. No way. What if God’s plans aren’t as good as our plans? Lucky for us, we can find answers and consolation when we turn to God’s Word. The Book of Jeremiah explains to us that God does have a plan for us…and it is a good one. In this famous verse God proclaims that He knows “the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer 29:11). It may be tough to believe, but I believe that God’s “plan A” for your life is bigger and better than your “plan A” for your life. The question is, will you trust him enough to find out?
Today, pray with me that we may receive the strength and grace to join ourselves to God’s plan.
“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11
