In the United States, today is Election Day. No doubt, each of us will complete our ballot with trepidation this year. Thanks to friend Cheryl Lee Davis for lifting our eyes to the heavens to see that our help comes from the Lord. He is sovereign over all our world, holding us all in his hands. Even today.
Elisa
God Gets His Way
By Cheryl Lee Davis
While working for a large financial institution, I got to know some amazing leaders who coached me and helped me grow as a leader. But there was one woman who, for whatever reason, didn't seem to like me. Because she was in authority over me, she tried to use her influence to affect me negatively. When I received a promotion, she tried to get it reversed, bad-mouthing me to others.
Her malice didn't work. In fact, it revealed more of her character. She eventually got demoted herself. I remember feeling very sad for her. And I also knew that God had taken care of this situation, without my trying to defend myself. He did not allow her to stop what he had planned for me within that company.
God gets his way.
Do you believe this today? It's true. Psalm 33:10-11 reminds us that God holds back the plans of those who want to harm us. In fact, he often asks us to simply wait, sit still, or just be quiet while he takes care of everything.
The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever;
the purposes of his heart through all generations. (Psalm 33:10-11)
We see this throughout the Old Testament, when armies set out to battle, and God directed them to wait and watch him win the day. He brought confusion onto the enemy-for example, when King Jehoshaphat faced a coalition of three strong opponents. God spoke to him through a prophet, telling him not to fear and not even to fight: "Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord's victory. He is with you." (2 Chronicles 20:17).
The next day, the enemy armies mysteriously turned on each other instead. "As soon as they [the army of Judah] began singing, the Lord confused the enemy camp,so that the Ammonite and Moabite troops attacked and completely destroyed those from Edom. Then they turned against each other and fought until the entire camp was wiped out!" (2 Chronicles 20:22-23 CEV).
If we truly believe that God's plans for us are intentional, then we must also believe that our current place, the path we're on, the circumstances that surround us are preparing us for his purposes.
This is a comforting truth to me, because I need to know that after all is said and done, God's plans can't be thwarted by anyone. He has a deliberate purpose in what he does, what he allows, and where he leads.
Sometimes God's leading takes us to stillness, inaction, and simply watching him work. If we don't understand this, we may feel like he is abandoning us, leaving us, or allowing difficulty for no good reason. Not true at all. God is a loving father who will not leave us, his children, without what we really need.
So, if I believe that his plans are intentional for me, how might I live differently? How might I more heavily rely on him during difficult seasons? What about you?
Cheryl Lee Davis serves as Vice President of Women's Connection for Stonecroft Ministries. Her leadership is strengthened by years of experience with Compassion International, Focus on the Family, and MOPS International. She has a B.A. from Biola University. Cheryl is the author of two devotional books: Safe Place, based on Psalm 27 and Rely, based on Psalm 33. Cheryl and her husband, Dean, have two children. Cheryl blogs at www.womenpursuinggod.com.