Holidays are my jam.
I love spending time baking treats, picking out the perfect gifts for friends and family, planning and attending parties, going to church events, traveling, and Black Friday. I am a Type-A, list making, over-packing, what-if, always-be-prepared-like-the-girl-scouts kind of person, and the holidays bring out the best of that side.
But in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, something unaccounted for will always surface. You forgot your passport at home, you forgot your aunt is allergic to almonds, you forgot your best friend’s gift on your kitchen table, or you have been driving the north freeway for two hours and just realized you need to be on the south freeway (true story, people).
We can make mile-long lists and set alarms and make three trips to Target, but sometimes things just don’t go the way that we expect. This is true about life in general. Some of us thought we’d be married already. Some of us expected to be serving God overseas by this time last year. Some of us planned on the adoption finally going through. Some of us never planned on battling infertility or miscarriage or losing a child.
Whenever life happens differently than I expect, I am reminded consistently of these words:
“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
{Proverbs 16:9, ESV}
We forget this. I forget this. And sometimes life doesn’t seem fair when we view it in light of our plans and timelines, when we compare our life to the lives around us.
When we focus on other people and their stories, we forget that God is fully aware of our stories and our situations. When we focus on other people, we think that God has forgotten us, and somehow, we need to remind Him. I know I have spent hours praying and crying over things in my life because I think I need to remind God of my desires.
Friends, we do not serve a God who forgets His people; if anything, He knows our stories more intimately and intricately than ourselves. God doesn’t need to be reminded of anything, but we need to be reminded of everything. When heartache happens, when you feel forgotten, remind yourself of truth.
She got the job . . . the Lord establishes my steps.
He got married . . . the Lord establishes my steps.
They had a baby . . . the Lord establishes my steps.
She moved overseas . . . the Lord establishes my steps.
He got the promotion . . . the Lord establishes my steps.
They bought the house . . . the Lord established my steps.
There are things that I expected I would have accomplished by now. I expected that I could write something about being a newlywed or a new mom, but the Lord has different plan. He is establishing good things, even if they look different than we thought.
During this holiday season, today and every day, we must remember that our God — “the God Who Sees” — is fully aware of our situations and desires and plans.
Today, remind yourself of truth and surrender your plans to God. The Lord establishes your steps.
What good things had God established in your life that you never even planned or dreamed of? What are some things that you need to stop planning for and trust God with?
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Related: Remind yourself daily of His goodness to you by carrying this sweet pouch that says “He fills my life with good things.” {Psalm 103:5}
Leave a Comment
Tami says
I once drove the wrong direction in Nebraska for about 2 hrs–but it was East or West, not South/North like you! 🙂
karen says
I have been reminding myself often that He IS “the God who sees”! Thanks for this!!!
Rebecca Jones says
What a great post! And I love the verses! I’m a perfectionist and I don’t like things going wrong. I like to plan, I even take gifts to the vet and dentist. God is a perfectionist too, but a patient one. The holidays should not be stressful or sad. Let’s make time for ourselves and let God order our steps and put the Merry in Christmas.
Harmony Strong Vuycankiat says
So good!
Kati says
This exact thing has been on my mind so much he lately. It’s scary when things don’t go as planned or when unexpected things threaten the security of what I thought I knew. But I’m choosing to believe that even these scary things are good things that the Lord is establishing. He makes all things beautiful.
deb says
Wow…I needed to hear this today. Thanks for sharing!
Beth Williams says
Kristi,
Life hasn’t gone the way I thought it would. I dreamed I would graduate HS and then get a job and work at it till retirement. My biggest obstacle was that I had hearing problems and a speech impediment. I Should have gotten hearing aid sooner, but oh well. I had to work temporary for a long while, then came the good job. Along the way came college, and the declaration I didn’t like living in Florida & wanted to move. After much time we moved to Upper E. TN. It was there many years later that God sent me a wonderful hubby. Needless to say there were many more stops and starts along the way. Now I find myself staying at home, and assisting in the care of my aging dad (90). So many twists and turns Through it all God was there watching and guiding my steps!
Blessings :).