The question is what does that look like?
I remember getting my first iPhone in it’s beautiful white shiny box, wrapped in cellophane. Sitting down and slowly pulling the box open. And there it was! Pristine and perfect in all its ways. Not a scratch or blemish. Just breathtaking and full of promise.
Is God’s “plan” for our life like that?
I can remember coming back to faith as a Uni student many years ago and getting really excited by a verse that was going round at the time:
“… 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)
I dreaming about how this perfect plan would unfurl winding down the year! The perfect family, the perfect job, butterflies, rainbows, perfect health, maybe fame and fortune. Maybe my own Wikipedia entry as one of the great heroes of the age.
But within a month I began to wonder. I had a really bad patch and did some foolish things that certainly would NOT have been part of Plan: A. Did that mean I was now on Plan: B? I’d better be careful.
Then I was sick and missed a big missions conference. “Oh No! Was that the ‘Mountain-top’ experience that would propel me to great heights and now I’d missed it.”
And what about that huge young adults retreat with all those gorgeous young women attending that I couldn’t go to — What if I’ve missed that one moment to meet the ‘right’ one?
And then I got a poor mark in some exam. And then I had to choose my subjects for next year with very little notice — and there were no visions or Vvoices in my head or even bible verse telling me which were God’s perfect subjects for my life plan!! You’d think I’d be led to Second Hezekiah 14:32 “History thou shalt take as thine major; And biochemistry thou shalt enrolleth for as a minor. Mathematics thou shalt not take. Cast it from thee at all times…”!
I was sure by the time I got to the end of the year that there had been so many foul ups and mistakes that I was up to God’s plan for my life Version: Windows:95! And no one wants that.
And then I thought about all the random things outside my control.
When I finished Year 12, I had filled the study preferences form in to say Engineering at Melbourne Uni and I’d sent it off. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do, and I wasn’t particularly interested in what God had to say about it. It just seemed to make sense.
Anyway, we lived in Clayton near Monash Uni. And so in early January when I got a “Do you want to change your preference?” form I hummed and ahh’ed and scribbled in a change of preference to Monash Uni - just for convenience.
However, about two weeks later I got a letter congratulating me on my acceptance into studying science at Monash Uni. I was totally mystified!
Turned out mum had been in my room, noticed the change of preference and the closing date and thought to herself: “He’s forgotten to send that in, I’d better get it in the mail today.”
So there I was at Month Uni. No praying about it. Not even a deliberate choice!!
If God HAD HAD a wonderful plan with my life - maybe it was all going down the drain at Melbourne Uni whilst I was frittering my life away on Plan: Z at Monash!!
Ever feel like that?
How do you work out God’s plan for your life if circumstances conspire against you; If you keep stuffing things up monumentally from time to time? If illness or war or COVID Quarantine comes upon you randomly?
If other people mess up the part THEY are supposed to play and you end up as unfair co-lateral damage?
I think our God IS purposeful. Our life does have meaning. There are activities and vocations we do feel called to.
But, I think it’s far more complex and subtle than my simple idea of “Plan: A”
God’s overarching ‘plan’ stretches across all of time itself to bring HEALING and SHALOM to a broken world filled with broken people.
God starts off with us as imperfect people, with a history of experiences that are painful or hurtful or that we feel guilty about or grieve about. And those others around us? They’re in the same boat.
So God’s purposefulness is more about how to work with these broken people in this broken world to bring forth good.
And often it’s our brokenness or disappointments that become part of the gift that strengthens others.
The gospel stories of Jesus are all about little people, broken people - those with no glorious “Plan: A” discovering grace or belonging or forgiveness or purposefulness or a new start.
The Samaritan woman, most likely spurned by her village for being unmarried and having had five other husbands meets Jesus, drinks ‘living water’ and runs back to her village shouting without shame: “He told me everything I ever did.”
John 4: 39 on says: “… Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. …. 42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
She is saying: “In spite of everything I’ve got wrong and others have got wrong; in spite of culturally being on Plan: Double-Z I am accepted and loved and can talk about me without shame.”
The Prodigal Son staggers back home from a far country and a stinking pigsty. He’s lived right there in Plan: Z!! Maybe not as a son with a future his father MIGHT let him grovel around as a servant … But he discovers that before he even makes it home, his father anticipates his arrival and runs to meet him:
“… Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began….” (Luke 15)
The Kingdom of God is all about people who are down below Plan: Z.
Jesus tells a story to those of the establishment who were pretty sure they were on Plan: A
Luke 14 (NLT) 15 …. a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”
16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ 18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.”
Interesting: These were all marks of being on Plan: A They were living the perfect life - so they ignored the King’s call.
21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 After the servant had done this, he reported, These are people who are failures. Maybe health has let them down, or poverty; or maybe poor choices.. Culturally they were the cursed - not the blessed!”
‘There is still room for more.’ 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full….”
That word ‘urge’ is compelled. These are the lowest of the low. They don’t belong. Nice middle class people would turn up their nose at these.
So the Stretch-Limo goes out down the dark ally-ways. And Jeeves in his starched Butler’s suit and white gloves arm-twists these failed vagabonds into the car.
Can you picture the party?
The beautiful banqueting hall, the cabaret band playing live music, the starched tablecloths and crystal goblets; fine silverware, the five course Michelin-quality meal; the expensive wines; the waiters with their trays and aprons?
And there’s the noise and coarse language and the smell and the inappropriate clothes and manners — beggars lepers homeless people druggies drunks foreigners sex-workers demoniacs petty criminals slaves, the sick, the smelly, sinners, ragged unmannered barbarians — The language, the sweat, the pocketed silver.
And there’s the Master sitting in the midst of all this with his people!
That’s you and me!
That’s the God who takes our failures and the circumstances that have sunk us and somehow weaves something good
When a bowl, teapot or precious vase falls and breaks into a thousand pieces, we throw them away angrily and regretfully.
BUT, there is a Japanese practice that highlights and enhances the breaks and adds value to the broken object. It’s called kint-sugi — Literally Golden (“kin”) and Repair (“tsugi”).
This traditional Japanese art uses a precious metal – liquid gold, liquid silver or lacquer dusted with powdered gold – to bring together the pieces of a broken pottery item and at the same time enhance the breaks.
Every repaired piece is unique, because of the randomness with which ceramics shatters & the irregular patterns formed that are enhanced with the use of metals.
God is in the business of putting the broken and shattered vase put back together. Everything can be taken and used in the final design
The future reign of God will be the reign of SHALOM
Each one sitting under his fig-tree! Lion and the lamb at peace together in the same field! Swords to plowshares!
It’s the Wedding feast - The engagement and waiting will have ended! God takes the broken crystal vase that has been smashed and is putting it back together!
YOU are a gift, warts and scars and all. The love of God found in Jesus on the cross has put together the broken life…
The goldof The Spirit of God shines through you.
Author Philip Yancy puts it like this: “… One who has been touched by grace will no longer look on those who stray as “those evil people” or “those poor people who need our help.” Nor must we search for signs of “love-worthiness.” Grace teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are.”
St Paul look back at his life and the things he’s done that are horrific, but can look at himself in Christ and say: “… 7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 (NLT)
We are like fragile claypots. We’ve been broken we have cracks and breaks - but we’re being repaired with Gold AND, theres’ a treasure inside - a beautiful light radiates out. The cracks actually reveal the bright light!
So our posture each day is to say: “Lord what do you want of me today?”
And he guides your path.
Proverbs 3: 5-7 TPT) is a brilliant summary of guidance - walking with our God day by day: “… Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. 6 Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go. 7 Don’t think for a moment that you know it all, for wisdom comes when you adore him with undivided devotion…”
Every day, start from scratch. Give God the good and the bad from yesterday. Confess the failures; give up the disappointments. Be thankful for God’s provision. Ask the Spirit to guide you for the coming day. And then review it with God at the end of the day.
Daniel finds himself a refugee, but discovers day by day God’s leading for him in the great and pagan city of Babylon.
Esther the discovers that inspire of everything that as gone wrong maybe just maybe, as Mordecai reminds her: “… And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)
Joseph can look at his brothers who had years before sold him into slavery in Egypt and then a long stint in jail — and he can look at the tangle of his life and say: (Gen 50: 19-20) “…. But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people….”
At DVBC, we’ve studies Acts in term: 1 and it’s clear that God does have a plan to take the good news out to the world. But it’s very messy.
It takes into account all the circumstances of the places and people that Paul and his team meet … And from THEIR point of view it must have seemed chaotic.
Their “Plan” as they understood God’s leading was to visit all the town from their previous trip and follow-up people.
So they Go to Derbe and Lystra, then to Phrygia.
Then Acts 16: 8 (MSG) says: “… They went to Phrygia, and then on through the region of Galatia. Their plan was to turn west into Asia province, but the Holy Spirit blocked that route….”
That would have been the logical path toward Ephesus. We don’t know what that means. Maybe a dream or vision. It could have been the road was closed or local warfare going on. Then it says:
“So they went to Mysia and tried to go north to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn’t let them go there either.”
So it make sense to head north - but again the door closes. we don’t know why or how they knew. They TRIED…. But it didn’t work
Proceeding on through Mysia, they went down to the seaport Troas.
Well, the only option left was to head south-west to the port of Troas on the Aegean sea. Most likely they would have felt the trip was over and they could catch a ship back home.
16: 9-10 That night Paul had a dream: A Macedonian stood on the far shore and called across the sea, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” The dream gave Paul his map. We went to work at once getting things ready to cross over to Macedonia. All the pieces had come together. We knew now for sure that God had called us to preach the good news to the Europeans.
11-12 Putting out from the harbor at Troas, we made a straight run for Samothrace. The next day we tied up at New City and walked from there to Philippi, the main city in that part of Macedonia and, even more importantly, a Roman colony. We lingered there several days.
So they end up in Philippi and meet Lydia and a little church starts …. But they get into trouble with the authorities. They are beaten up. They end up in jail. And as they are singing, there’s an earthquake. The prison crack open and they get out… And eventually go to Thessalonica - and there’s another riot and they leave the city and eventually end up in Athens.
If our Mission Committee were planning a Church ‘Missions trip’ with so many stops and changes and risks and escapes - we would struggle to see God’s hand in it.
But it is. As it is, when our lives feel the same way as Paul and Silas’ trip!
Years later, Paul can reflect back on the topsy turviness of God’s PLAN for him and write:
Romans 8:28-30 & 38-39 (NLT) “… And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself.… 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord….”
So, in the stops and changes of this weird COVID time - Give it all to God.
Start each Day by saying: “Good morning Lord! This day with all of its surprises is yours. Work out your will for me today.”
End each day by saying: “Good evening Lord! Thankyou for today. I’m sorry for the times I’ve got it wrong. I hand you everything that’s happened. The nice, the nasty, and the neutral. May your will be done. Lord. I’m listening. Is there ONE thing you want me to reflect on from today? Something you want to say to me or teach me. Speak Lord. I’m listening. Amen.”
God of the open road,
God of the twisting path,
God of the narrow and upward way,
I bow quietly before you
In this hour, give me provision for the journey,
courage and faith and compassion, wisdom
and endurance to face any surprise
or disappointment or hardship or challenge.
Open my eyes to see you walking beside me,
protecting me, encouraging me, loving me.
We pray this in the name of Jesus,
who leads us on Amen
