July 20: Insight Post by Kim Feld
Monday Insight Post
by Kim Feld
I like having a plan and knowing what is coming when. Honestly, that is probably one reason I enjoy being in charge—I get to make the plan! But sometimes, God reminds me that I can make all the plans I want, but He is ultimately in charge. This verse is a good reminder to me:
We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)
Part of taking up my cross daily is submitting my plans to God. God knows the steps I need to take each day in order to become the woman He has created me to be. Sometimes, those steps will lead me into areas that I would rather not travel, but if I trust that He knows what’s best for me, I can have peace even when the situation is anything but peaceful.
Many of you know that I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. My mom has survived breast cancer twice, so I can’t say the diagnosis was a huge surprise. However, the timing was. I had made plans that I felt like God was in—so many steps along the way that I felt His hand and guidance. Cancer was not part of my plan, but God knew it would be part of my story, and if I submitted even cancer to Him, He could and would use it. I have seen His work throughout this journey so far, and I have no doubt that I will continue to see Him work.
As Proverbs says, we can make our plans, but God ultimately decides how things will go. He knows what I need to accomplish the things He has ordained for me. Let’s look at this verse again from The Message:
We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it. Proverbs 16:9 (The Message)
Sometimes we can look at less-than-pleasant things that come our way as a giant detour and second-guess ourselves. But it could be that our plans are not out of line; God knows what it will take for us to fulfill them. “Only God makes us able to live it.” Certainly not all the plans I have made in my life have aligned with God’s will, but sometimes God says “yes and” because He knows that what may seem like a detour to me is preparation from Him. Submission is the key to not missing what God is doing even when things look different than I anticipated.
What does submission look like for you today? How might God be calling you to take up your cross and follow Him?
Kim Feld
Executive Director of Education and Outreach
New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
newhope.org