We ask God to be a light on our path, right? But what happens when you don’t like the path? What do you do when the word He gives you isn’t the word you want to hear? When you pray for something, and God says “No”?
Let me get personal for a second. During a 21-day fast, I was asking God for guidance and wisdom. Guidance for the creation of this blog and wisdom for the next steps in my career, more specifically the next steps after my undergraduate studies. I had already chosen Medical Physics as the field that I wanted to pursue, and it quickly became something I was very invested in. I watched “Day in the Life” YouTube videos and attended graduate program informational zoom calls. I planned to work in either a lab or hospital setting, but there was something that didn’t quite feel complete.
At this point, I’m still praying and fasting. I went to God begging for just a hint of wisdom regarding my future. And what did He say? “ I showed you the steps to take for your career, you just didn’t like it.” And I mean He wasn’t lying. He did, on a random day in January, tell me to look up scientific writing programs.
So, at that moment, I explained my feelings, insecurities, and apprehensions about my writing abilities to God. But most importantly, once I got it all off my chest, I asked Him to help me to be obedient despite what I was feeling.
While God’s response to me wasn’t a complete “no”, He did clarify to me “Not your plans, but Mine”, the point of the story was to show you that you can have an emotional response to God’s instructions (especially when they’re not in your “ideal” plan) and still respond in obedience to Him.
Jesus is the model for how we are to live our lives while we are on Earth because He lived a sinless life. “What would Jesus do” is more than a cliche phrase we use when we want to cuss someone out. We all know that we will never be perfect, but it is helpful to know that even Jesus had to double-check with God, like “Hey, are you sure you want me to die? I just wanted to make sure this was your will.” This of course was a paraphrase for the prayer He prayed the night before He went to the cross in Matthew 26. The crucial thing Jesus did here is that in the end, He said, “Your will be done.”
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” Psalms 119:105 NIV
Because we have our own thoughts and plans, God’s divine will does not always line up with what we envision for ourselves. The key is to ask Him for help to push past the disappointment and to trust that “His plans are greater than yours, and He has plans to prosper you.”
“For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
This was such a good word! It is important for us to remember it is God’s will and not ours. Loved this!
Kimberly Hudsonsays
Truths expressed in words. The message is phenomenal. I’m grateful and thankful for the seed(s) you provided for planting and receiving. I’m thankful, so thankful for now and later. The harvest will come and I celebrate what is. God promises are to be held high through gratitude and thanksgiving. Amen🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
This was such a good word! It is important for us to remember it is God’s will and not ours. Loved this!
Truths expressed in words. The message is phenomenal. I’m grateful and thankful for the seed(s) you provided for planting and receiving. I’m thankful, so thankful for now and later. The harvest will come and I celebrate what is. God promises are to be held high through gratitude and thanksgiving. Amen🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾