Higher Ways, Plans, & Waiting

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9)

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

"Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!" (Psalm 27:14)

During the past week, I had the opportunity to talk to two young ladies. Neither was happy about the situation in which they found themselves. Completely different situations, and these girls are separated by a decade. While I quoted scripture to both of them, I didn't quote these three scriptures. But in retrospect, all three apply (and I happen to know both young ladies read my blog).

The first, I believe, speaks to both a warning and a promise. The warning, that I--and you, too--just don't have the capacity to think of everything, to always know the right way, or to always make the right choice. Thus, I look to God. The promise? Well, it's the same thing. There's always One whose thoughts, whose ways, whose answers will be better than mine. My life may not always work out perfectly, but if I'm following His ways, my life's imperfections are easier to bear and easier to work with.

The second ... I hear that verse quoted so often. The context (because, as my favorite preacher says, "Context is everything.") is God speaking to the Israelites in Babylonian captivity. The prophet Jeremiah, with pen inspired by God, is encouraging the exiles. "Hold one. This isn't the end. God has plans for you, and they're good plans." Of course, that's paraphrasing. But I want both of these young ladies to remember: what you're going through is not the end. I may not know what they are, but I know God has many blessings in store for you. Trust me on this.

And then there's that last verse. Waiting. I hate waiting. Don't you? The doctor's office. Restaurants. Movie lines, amusement parks, the post office ... don't even get me started on traffic. But then we have that little phrase ... it's worth the wait. Even the examples I used above are usually worth the wait, aren't they? The doctor makes you feel better, you get a good meal, watch a good movie, all of those examples.

So how much more worth the wait are God's blessings? I've watched so many people wait and pray while waiting. Do we always get the answer we want, even after waiting and praying? No. And I'm not going to pretend we understand life's disappointments. But I do know, at the end of the day, and more importantly, at the end of my life, God loves me.

God does have plans for you. I don't begin to know them because of that first scripture. His thoughts will always be higher than mine. His plans will always be better than mine. And if I wait and pray, I know I'll spend eternity in a life better than I can imagine.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• Think about those situations in your life about which you're unhappy. List them (as in, write them down). Now pray about those specifically.
• Wait. Pray some more. Look for God's blessings that may be unexpected answers to your prayers.