The Plan of God Prov. 16:20 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

This broadcast is for people who say, I want to know God’s plan for my life.  The plan of God for your life is not the same as the will of God for your life, though people often confuse the two.  The will of God is clearly stated in scripture as we saw in the prior broadcast.  You see it in the scriptures and it is fulfilled by simply doing what the Bible says you are supposed to do.

The plan of God for your life becomes plain as you fulfill the will of God in your life.  The Lord reveals his plan for you along the path of doing his will.  He only needs to let you know as much of his plan as is necessary to get you heading in the right direction.  Then he can lead you from there.

Here are some scriptures that will help you discern the Lord’s plan for your life.  You find God’s plan when you:

Regularly read your Bible – Rom 10:17; Ps 119:105, that is the Bible will provide the “light” for your steps.  Remember, faith comes from “hearing” the word of God.  In other words, believe what you read and follow it humbly.

Serve in a good Church – Eph 4:16, people who aren’t faithful in a good church rarely find the Lord’s plan for their lives.  On hospital visits, people who have been spared from a potentially fatal accident or from a terminal illness generally say, “Well, I guess God has something for me to do.”  But they never find what that is unless they are in a local church serving God.

Live by faith – 2 Cor 5:7, most people “look” for what they call “open doors.”  While we may find some, we should simply trust God to direct us (Prov 16:9).  Bob Jones, Sr. used to say that the right road leads out at the right place.  Your biggest concern should be whether you are on the right road today.

Pray over every decision – Phil 4:6-7, don’t worry over everything, pray.  These verses speak of prayer and “supplication.”  Supplication is a humble and earnest request.  So you pray earnestly for what you want but you remain humble to do what God wants, like Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane and Paul with his thorn in the flesh (2 Cor 12).

Seek and follow wise counsel – Eph 4:11; Prov 13:20, once you have sought the Lord in the Bible, trusted Him by faith and prayed, you may want to check your decision with 2 or 3 wise counselors.  You are not looking for confirmation, although that is what most people want.  You are looking for counsel.  In other words, you may decide after counsel to change your plans.

Do what you ought to do – Matt 23:23, Lk 19:17, Bob Jones, Sr. said, “The best way to prepare for tomorrow is to do what you ought to do today.”  So many Christians think that they will start doing what they ought to do once God shows them.  But there are many things that you already know to do now.  If you aren’t doing what you know to do, why would God show you what He wants you to do?

Wait on God – Ps 27:14 – God’s timing is critical in God’s plans.  Often the trouble with Christians who really want to do something for God is that they get ahead of him.  Wait.  We have missionary friends who grew up on the field.  They were called to the same people as their parents and so came to the States for BibleCollege with the intentions of returning to the field right after school.  God kept them in the States for 15 years before they returned.  He wasn’t ready for them to go as quickly as they wanted to go.

Conclusion: Before trying to discover God’s plan for your life, get in the will of God.  Then patiently pray and read while actively serving in your local church doing what you ought to do and seeking wise counsel.  God’s plan will become plain to you as He directs your steps.