Do you ever question God’s plans?  I sure do.

‍

On a global scale, I question why He allows thousands of people to be killed by enemies, sickness, or natural disasters.  As I write this, Jamaica reels in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, and the world is just hearing of the massacre of thousands in Sudan. I know God has a plan, but I don’t understand it.

‍

On a personal level, I question why He allows people to get sick, to lose money, to lose faith, to lose battles with cancer, to lose jobs, to have fertility challenges, to not get promoted, to get into accidents, to lose relationships, and more. I know God has a plan, but I don’t understand it.

‍

In today’s scripture, Moses tells the people of Israel to expect another prophet, like Moses. For much of Deuteronomy, including the chapters before and after chapter 18, Moses tells the Israelites various rules and laws for living as God’s chosen people. As Moses guides them, he tells them that God will send a prophet at some point in the future. Most commentators believe that Jesus is the prophet that Moses referenced, not one of the prophets of Israel who came after Moses. God had a plan. He was in control. He was sovereign. He knew what He was doing, even when Moses and the Israelites did not. They knew that God had a plan, even if they did not understand it.

‍

The Israelites knew where they had come from (they were near the end of wandering in the desert for the past 40 years, after their forefathers had refused to invade Canaan after escaping Egypt). But they didn’t know how invading the Promised Land would go – they didn’t know the triumphs and failures, the highs and lows, the victories and struggles that they would experience as they fought to take the land. They didn’t know about the time of the Judges, and the internal and external threats they would face. They didn’t know that they would choose a king, who would be replaced by David. They didn’t know that after David, Israel would be ruled by multiple kings, some godly, but most not. They didn’t know that they would repeat the cycle of drawing near to God only to drift further away from Him. They didn’t know that Israel would separate from Judah, and that both Israel and Judah would be invaded by enemies – Assyrians, Babylonians, and Romans. They didn’t know that Jesus, the prophet Moses foretold, would come to save the world. They didn’t know the horrors and triumphs that would come as Christianity grew, sometimes like a wildfire and other times like barely simmering embers.  They didn’t know that the Israelites would be forced to leave Israel under the Romans, and that they would be persecuted around the world. They didn’t know about the Holocaust, or that after the Holocaust, they would have an opportunity to return to Israel. They didn’t know that they’d still be fighting for survival today. But God did. He had a plan, even if they couldn’t understand it.  

Just like with Israel, God has a plan, even if we don’t understand it. He is in control, even when we don’t know what He is doing, or why He is allowing it to happen.

‍

I think it’s easy to see God’s hand when things are going well, but it’s harder when there are struggles, or when we’re called to wait. But it’s comforting to know that God is in control. Consider how David responded to triumph, despair, and waiting - he praised God even when He didn’t see God’s plan.

‍

In times of triumph, praise God. In Psalms 145 and 100, David praises God because He sees God’s magnificent plan at work.

‍

But in times of despair, run to Him as well, and call out to Him like David did. In Psalm 13, David admits his despair, but he also says to God, “I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation” (v. 5). In Psalm 130, David writes that he hopes in the Lord, despite having to cry out from the depths.

‍

In times of waiting, be patient. David, too, had to wait. In Psalm 27:14, he said “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” In Psalm 37:7, he said, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!”

‍

Where do you fit in God’s plan? Are you experiencing triumph or tragedy, or something in between? How do you respond to God as you experience His plan?