Perfect Plan

My small group recently studied Genesis 13 - 15. God had just called Abram out of the land of Ur and blessed him with so many blessings. One of them included being a great nation. But how could this be since Sarai was barren? The Lord’s plan did not make sense. Though Abram was sophisticated enough to read between the lines. He concluded that a member of his household must be the heir (Gen. 15:3). But the Lord rejects that understanding and reiterates the fact that Abram will have his very own son. But how could this be?

Don’t we sympathize with this lack of understanding? The Lord moves in such mysterious ways that we often cannot discern what He is doing. He acts in ways that we do not expect! In fact, if we were in control, we would work in our lives so much differently, right? What is the Lord doing? Where is He? And the Lord reminds us through His Word in Isaiah 55:8-9,

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

On Christmas morning Jesus incarnates as a baby in a manger without any fanfare. Who would have written such a scene for a King? The Lord acts in ways that we do not expect! Yet in the fullness of Scripture, we see the clarity of the gospel. His purposes are ever true and never wasted. He was faithful to Abram as He is to us through His Son. May we draw great encouragement from this! Even when the Lord’s plan does not make sense to us, it is perfect. Let us trust in the Lord even when His plan is difficult to see or understand. As with Abram and with us in the gospel, the Lord always enacts His perfect plan. May Christmas hope remind you to trust in the Lord even when you cannot see or understand.