We all go through periods of time where we find ourselves wondering if God has a plan for us and what exactly that plan is. Can you relate? Learning to trust God’s plan can bring on a whole other set of questions and struggles.
Whether you are diligently seeking direction to something specific or you are looking for the peace that comes with acceptance of God’s will, keep reading and find encouragement that indeed God does have a plan for your life.
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God Has a Plan
Isn’t it wonderful to know that God has a plan for our lives? Like, he literally has our entire life mapped out for us in advance?
God did not create us, put us here on earth, and then remove Himself from our lives. Quite the contrary!
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
Knowing that He has a plan and then trusting that His plan is much better than the one we may have dreamed for ourselves is such an important part of growing closer to God and stronger in your faith.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Bible Verses About Trusting God’s Plan
The Bible is full of scripture about trusting that God has a plan for our lives. As our Creator and Redeemer, we need to humble ourselves and submit to His plan. He is all-knowing and all-powerful.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
I like how Solomon makes a point to say that we should trust God and NOT look to our own understanding. Why? Because we see only a small fragment of what is going on around us. God sees everything including the present and the future.
Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
Psalm 28:7
David saw God’s hand in his life repeatedly and even when things were not going well for him, he always proclaimed his faith. He knew about trusting God in difficult times as well as relying on Him to direct his paths.
Psalm 112:7
Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Psalm 112:7
We could use David’s words as a prayer for trusting God’s plan. If you are having trouble or are in a period of uncertainty, pray David’s prayers, proclaim God’s promises. Here is one more.
Psalm 143:8
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life
Psalm 143:8
So, how do we trust that God has a plan for our lives? First, absorb yourself in scripture, the living word of God. It is just as applicable to your life today as when it was written.
It is also necessary to keep a few other things in mind.
Isaiah 55:8-9
Trusting that God has a plan means being ok with the fact that your plan and God’s plan may not be the same!
If you are urged to change your lifelong dream, take heart, God has a better one for you. If your ambitions are not coming to fruition, pray about them and see what God has planned for you.
Allow God to take control of your life. Why?
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9
Humbling, isn’t it? BUT doesn’t it make you feel safe knowing that someone greater than you is guiding you?
God will not lead you away from what is best for you, even if you do not see the goodness of His leading. His ways are higher than ours. He knows what He is doing.
1 John 3:1-3
Trusting God with our future often means focusing on the journey and not the destination. Why? God’s main objective is working in your heart, removing the sin and disobedience, and filling you with the fruits of the spirit. This can only be accomplished through a journey. The ups and downs of life, the pain and joy, all teach us, change us, and encourage us to be more like him.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
1 John 3:1-3
Our journey is that of purification. Purifying ourselves from our sinful nature and desiring to be like him.
I want to point out that first John proclaims the great love our God has for us. Love is God’s motive.
Learning to trust God’s timing comes into play here also. Often times what we feel is best for us is kept at arms length for a period of time. This period of waiting and trusting helps us to grow spiritually and it sets the stage for God’s will to unfold in an even greater way than we are imagining.
Philippians 4:13
Learning to trust God’s plan is not going to be easy street. We are going to be challenged, but the good news is that through those challenges, we will see the goodness of God and learn more about his character.
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13
Keep this one close because life is hard and we cannot do it on our own strength.
Mark 10:27
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Mark 10:27
Thank goodness, right?! If we were relying on our own planning, weaknesses, and even strengths, things would not go well. All things are possible with God. Rest in that truth.
Jeremiah 32:26-27
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
Jeremiah 32:26-27
No matter what you are facing right now, know that nothing is too hard for the God you serve.
Trusting God in difficult times is one of those things that does not come naturally to most of us. It comes by going through the difficult times and seeing the faithfulness of God.
These lyrics by Hilary Scott speak to me because so often we are confused by God’s plan for our lives. We obey and follow to the best of our ability and we remain plagued by heartache and pain.
Isaiah 43:2
Truth be told, God’s word never promises that His plan will take us along a path of ease. We are never promised to be removed from the pain and suffering of this world, but we are promised that God will walk beside us through it all.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Isaiah 43:2
Trusting that God has a plan isn’t easy when I realize that it will not go as smoothly as I would like. The New Testament is full of verses to encourage us through pain and suffering.
James 1:2-4
James tells us to count on Joy when we go through difficult times.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4
Romans 8:18
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18
True faith isn’t faith until it is tried.
The pain and suffering of this world are temporary. God has created us using them to perform a good work in us.
God has a Plan for Me and You!
Trusting that God has a plan for my life may not be easy, but I am willing to try. I am ready to humble myself and be open to whatever He has planned for me.
What about you? Are you ready to join me in trusting God with our future?
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