GOD’S PLANS AND OUR PLANS FOR OUR PROVISION!

According to Millard 1 “ Our activity and God’s activity are not mutually exclusive. We have no basis for laxity, indifference, or resignation in the face of the fact that God is at work accomplishing His goals. His providence includes human actions.” Some of our actions can be prayer, planning. Sometimes we are conscious that our actions are fulfilling divine intentions, at other times not!

When we pray or plan we not always receive what we ask for. But it is a good idea maybe every year to five years to check on the plans we made earlier to see if they are being answered! See if we need to make any changes. But being confident that God will give us, not necessarily what we ask for, but what is best! As it says in Psalm 84:11: “No good thing does the Lord withhold from those whose walk is blameless”.

We saw Jesus asking three times for the removal of the cup of death by crucifixion even though He said ‘but not My will but Yours’(Matthew 26:39); the answer was meant for salvation through Him to all future humanity of those who believed in Him .(Romans 10:9). And Paul asked three times for the removal of his torn in the flesh, which didn’t happen but we saw how he was able to bring most of the New Testament epistles with the message of the gospel to all future generations globally!

But no matter what, as for our present provision, we hear Jesus’ words of comfort that we are not to be anxious for our shelter, food, clothing, as long as we seek God’s kingdom and righteousness and all those things will be added to them (Matthew 6:31-33).

NOTES
1 Millard J Erickson, Christian Theology, ( Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006), 428.