Psalm 33:10
“The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.”
Life can be overwhelming. Most of us truly struggle with not being able to be in complete control of our lives every second. The lack of control can cause anxiety and fear, which leads to doubt and a terrible attitude. No one likes to feel out of control with the lack of ability to decide what to do, or how to do it, or when to do it, or why to do it. People love control because control creates a feeling of safety and security. Even if that control ultimately leads to brokenness and heartache, people love the few seconds of control, even though it’s simply an illusion.
The Psalmist writes how God brings the plans of the nations to nothing. This might seem harsh, but it’s truly glorious because Jesus is better. God’s plans lead us straight to Jesus every time, which means love, purpose, life, salvation, and so much more. God’s plans might frustrate us at the moment because we don’t understand the complete picture, but we must remember that Jesus is better. We must deny ourselves, submit to God, and enjoy Jesus. Our plans are absolutely nothing compared to the plans that God has for you and me.
My fellow brothers and sisters, please remember that Jesus is better than any plan that you might have. Honestly, I truly struggle at times to deny self, submit to God, and enjoy Jesus. I try my hardest to hold onto my plans because I believe that I am better, however, the only constant element of my plans is failure. I am a control freak because I don’t want to fail at anything. The biggest thing right now that God is teaching me is that I only fail when I believe I have the ability to be in control of all. God has shown me, I can never fail when Jesus is in control.
While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following questions:
- What areas do you find it difficult to hand over control to God?
- Can you share a time when you surrendered control and saw God do something better?
