You may not be aware that God has a plan for each of us, but He does. Yes, the Lord does give us free will, but only when the Lord leads us can His plan for our lives unfold in the way He desires. Every day, we make choices that can lead us closer to the Lord and our relationship with Him or further away.
Often, the selfish choices we make do not come from God but from our sinful nature. The world tells us life is all about us, but our lives become shallow and empty when we follow that voice. When we make choices that the Holy Spirit leads, they can be challenging because it involves trust. To trust the Lord is to allow Him to lead us into unknown territory with only His hand to hold on and guide us. Romans 8:14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.[1]
God Had a Plan for Esther
When Esther’s parents died, she went to live with her cousin Mordecai. It must have been a time of great upheaval and sorrow. Often, we may question God why this happened or how He could bring good out of such a situation. We must realize that God is sovereign and the God of intervention.
When King Xerxes searched for a new queen, you can see the Lord’s hand upon Esther. He gave Esther favor to unfold His plan. Esther 2: 8 As a result of the king’s decree, Esther, along with many other young women, was brought to the king’s harem at the fortress of Susa and placed in Hegai’s care. 9 Hegai was very impressed with Esther and treated her kindly. He quickly ordered a special menu for her and provided her with beauty treatments. He also assigned her seven maids specially chosen from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem.[2]
Even though God’s hand was on Esther, her obedience was key. We must be willing to allow God to lead and direct us so His plans come to fruition.
God has a Better Plan
God has a better plan than we do. This becomes evident when we put our plans in place and find ourselves in the muck and mire of life. The Lord uses those times to get our attention so we look up to Him. The Lord never tires of calling His sheep back to Himself and setting them on a new path that transforms their life.
Romans 12:2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.[3] Letting the Lord mold us places us on the path of God’s plans for our life. Because the Lord loves us, it is not unusual for Him to intervene in our lives, like Esther, to help His fantastic plan come about.
To learn more about how God has a plan for each of us, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/a-new-queen
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.