From Ready to Unprepared
Have you ever had your plans changed by someone else or by circumstances? Sure you have. I sure have. More times than I can remember. If you are old enough to be reading this, then you know, maybe all too well, the reality of a change in plans. Those changes tend to create consternation in us. We often feel unprepared to turn left when we had planned on going straight. Or how about stopping when you were ready to put the pedal to the metal and let it roar. The unknown is scary. Ready quickly becomes unprepared.
Regardless of the specifics, most any change in plans, big or small, requires us to adjust and adapt. You have probably seen this quote, or some variation of it – “You cannot change the direction of the wind, but you can learn to adjust your sails.” Easier said than done.
Close your eyes for a minute and picture this: God has been tugging at your heart for some time. You sense Him calling you in some new direction, or maybe a new job, a new city, a new relationship, possibly even into ministry. You pray about it, mull it over, seek wise counsel from a friend or family member, pray about it some more, weigh all the pros and cons, and listen for God’s small still voice to confirm it. At first you were hesitant, it would mean some big (and scary) changes, but now you finally have your head and heart wrapped around the plan, and you are ready to “go for it”. You have a nice and neat plan. It all begins to make sense.
But not so fast! Out of the blue, God changes the plan. It is us, it is our plans, that God changes. His plans were set forth in the beginning – “The LORD frustrates the purposes of the nations; he keeps them from carrying out their plans. But his plans endure forever; his purposes last eternally” (Psalm 33:10-11 GNT). And in Proverbs we find this – “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail” (19:21 NLT).
Instead of turning left at the next intersection as the plan seemed to indicate, He tells you to turn right. You find yourself saying – “Wait a minute God, that’s not what I signed up for. I signed up for (you fill in the blank here) and seemingly out of nowhere You are asking me to do something totally different. I’m not sure I really understand. I was ready for that other thing, but this, I’m not so sure.” Have you ever been there? I know I have.
Now picture what Joseph must have felt like. In Gospel of Matthew, we read that he was engaged to a young woman named Mary. One day she comes to him and tells him that even though she is still a virgin she is pregnant. And not only that, but she also tells Joseph that this son was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Joseph likely said, “Yea right, and I am Santa Claus!”
After hearing the news, Joseph was making plans to divorce her but soon an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him it was all true and in Matthew 1:22-23 we read this – All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
The story goes on to tell us that “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and he took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And they gave him the name Jesus” (vv.24-25).
So, here we have Joseph with his plans for marriage and “living happily ever after” turned totally upside down when God first tells Mary, then Joseph, that they will be the parents of the Savior of the world. Talk about a change of plans, going from ready to unprepared!
How do you respond when God changes your plans? When you go from ready to unprepared.
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