“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28
The Marvelous Life-Plan of God
In the spring of 2018, two young men applied to play summer ball in a baseball league back east. Neither knew one another, but both had grown up a mere three hours away, and both had a passion for the game of baseball. Plans fell through to play on the East Coast, but both ended up successfully applying to a Christian team run by Athletes in Action up in Alaska.
That summer, both boarded planes to the Last Frontier. A couple weeks into the season, one of the players’ grandmother noticed the roster had a last name that was familiar. She asked her grandson to investigate if they were possibly related to the other player and his family. Not expecting anything to come of the conversation, he humored his grandmother and, to his surprise (as well as that of the other player’s), it turned out that their great-grandmothers were sisters, which made them second cousins who had never met! Both were shocked and delighted and spent the months that followed making up for lost time.
This family reunion of sorts actually took place last year on the team I work for, and the whole thing got me to thinking about how God directs our lives. So many things had to fall into place for this meeting to happen — both had to be accepted into the program, both could’ve ended up on different AIA teams, and the list goes on. The hand of God was so clearly evident. He purposed before the world began that this would happen, and nothing was going to stop Him for accomplishing it. And we were all witnesses.
The Bible makes it clear that God has plans and purposes for each one of our lives, but I wonder if we really live like that’s true. Is the sovereign hand of God a comfort to you in your life? Does it bring you peace knowing that He who rules the world also guides your life and is involved in everything that concerns you?
God gives us the precious promise in Jeremiah 29:11 that He knows the plans He has for us. They have been established from the beginning, and He assures us they are always for good. And in Romans 8:28, we are reminded yet again that for those who love God and are called to such eternal purposes, “all things work together for good.” Not that everything that happens is always good, but God always gathers the pieces together to make a masterpiece only He can create.
Those two players never dreamt God would lead them to Alaska where they would discover family they’d never met — because sometimes God’s plans take us by surprise, too. But let this be an encouragement to you: Wherever you go and whatever you do, nothing in your life happens by chance. So operate in the will of God and you’ll discover blessings you never thought possible.
— Katherine Singer
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