Affirmation for Today:
God’s plans for me are greater than the ones I can imagine.
Scripture:
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” — Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
The Struggle of Surrender
I’ll be honest: there are days when being a mom, wife, friend, and woman of faith feels overwhelming. We draw up plans for how this season “should” look—maybe you pictured a peaceful home, a thriving business, or a family table filled with laughter. But one unexpected diagnosis, business setback, or family rift, and suddenly your vision for the future feels like it’s slipped right through your hands.
I’ve stood at the stove, trying to cook a meal with tears running down my face, asking God, “Why isn’t my life unfolding the way I prayed it would?” The weight of unmet expectations—broken dreams, lost babies, marriages that ache, or visions that don’t materialize—hits hard. It’s the ache of realizing our will and God’s plan don’t always match.
God’s Plans Are Greater—Even When It Hurts
Today, we’re diving into a hard but freeing truth: God’s plans are always greater than ours, even when His route feels nothing like the one we mapped out.
Jeremiah 29:11–14 doesn’t promise us that every desire of our heart will unfold just how we hoped. Instead, it reminds us that what can feel like failures or setbacks are often divine redirections:
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope… You will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:11–13 ESV)
It’s so easy, mama, to measure God’s goodness by how closely our situation matches our desires. God says: My vision is bigger. My path is longer. My purpose is deeper than what you can see right now.
When Plans Fall Apart
Listen, I know some of us are facing devastations we never asked for: the child you prayed for who isn’t here, the business setback that stings, the diagnosis you never expected, being single after years in a marriage. It’s easy to believe something good must be missing.
God isn’t punishing you. He’s positioning you.
Our bible backs this up: Daniel had wisdom and favor—yet he still went to the lions’ den. God’s purpose for Daniel’s life went far beyond comfort; He was building a testimony of faith, not ease.
Practical Steps: Choosing Trust Over Control
So what do we do in the messy middle—when it feels like our plans keep crumbling? Here are some actual plans to implement:
1. Pray Honestly
Lay your heart bare before God. Tell Him where it hurts, where you’re disappointed, where you’re afraid your “Plan B” will never be enough. Why are these things happening - or not happening?
2. Surrender the Outcome
Write down one area where you still tightly grip your own timeline or outcome (family, business, marriage, health—whatever it is).
Pray:
“God, I trust Your greater plan in this. Let Your will be done, not mine.”
3. Anchor Your Heart in Scripture
Repeat God’s promises back to yourself. Post verses (like Jer. 29:11, Luke 11:9–10, John 14:14) where you’ll see them daily. Fill your home, car, and phone with reminders that He is for your good—even if you can’t see it yet.
4. Discount Your Emotions When Necessary
Emotions are real but not always true. Our feelings may want to steer us back to what’s safe or familiar, but God calls us into unknown harvests and uncharted joys—places no feeling-driven decision ever led us.
5. Remember Restoration is Coming
Joel 2:25–26 promises, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten… You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God.” Your broken season is not the end.
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A Simple Prayer for Redirecting Back
Father, I put my plans in Your hands, trusting that You see further than I can. When I’m tempted to grab control, help me surrender. When fear shouts louder than faith, remind me of Your goodness and Your promise to restore. Thank you for loving me even when I go my own way. Realign my heart with Your purpose—give me courage to keep walking, even when the path bends.
Amen.
Reflection & Response
Where are you still clinging to your own plan? Does that grip bring you peace or anxiety?
In what area of life do you need to shift from “Why isn’t this working?” to “Lord, show me Your greater plan”?
What is one scripture you’ll post in your space as a daily reminder that God is for you, not against you?
Let’s trade disappointment for expectation—believing that even unfinished stories are being woven into something beautiful by our faithful God.
If this post blessed you, share it with a sister who needs to hear that God hasn’t forgotten her!
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Remember: God’s plans are always greater—even in what feels like the “in-between.” Keep holding on, sister. He’s not done yet.
