Plan

All these stories have names. And we all could add to the list of tragedies we see around us. The question is: How does God work all these things out for good? Does he…can he work all these things out for good?

A good battle plan includes a study of the enemy. What’s their location? What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? What is their method of attack? The list goes on. Now granted, our primary study must be about God. The Bible is his love letter to us, and we never want “to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest” in the devils and his demons. But we must be aware of who the enemy is. Today, let’s consider three passages from the Gospel of John where Satan is described as “the ruler of this world.”

We are in a battle, but not with other people. Our struggles with people and circumstances are real-life events and cause real-life problems. However, hiding behind every circumstance, there is a conspirator. Hiding behind every deception, there is a deceiver. Hiding behind every hurt, there is a hunter. Hiding behind every lie, there is the father of lies. Our clash is not with “flesh and blood.” We are in a spiritual battle.

Talking to God all night. That’s what Jesus did the night before he chose his disciples. The selections were too important. The Son desired clarity from the Father. Luke says it this way:

Sometimes we have problems with the plan—God’s plan. We misunderstand what he is up to. That’s what happened to the disciples.

Have you ever felt like Jesus was holding out on you? Check out today’s passage.

Sometimes we have problems with God’s plan. We misunderstand what he is up to. We fear the danger. But Jesus’ plan is always bigger than ours.

You may feel like Jesus is holding out on you. You may feel like he is staying away during your time of need. I don’t know Jesus’ plan for you. I just know that his plan is bigger than yours and mine. Trust him.

Be willing to answer the hard questions. Fighting together is a position of strength.