Experiencing God
Day 2: God’s Plans Versus Our Plans 

Day 2: God’s Plans Versus Our Plans

Understanding what God is about to do where I am is more important than telling God what I want to do for Him.

Who delivered the children of Israel from Egypt—Moses or God? God did. God chose to bring Moses into a relationship with Himself so that He [God] could deliver Israel. Did Moses ever try to take matters into his own hands? Yes.

In Exodus 2:11-15 Moses began to assert himself on behalf of his people. What might have happened if Moses had tried to deliver the children of Israel through a human approach? Thousands of his countrymen would have been slain in battle. Moses tried to personally deliver one Israelite, and that cost him 40 years of exile in Midian working as a shepherd and reorienting his life to God-centered living.

When God delivered the children of Israel, how many Israelite lives were lost? None. In the process God even led the Egyptians to give the Israelites their gold, silver, and clothes. Egypt was plundered, the Egyptian army was destroyed, and the Israelites did not lose a single person.

Why do we not realize that it is always best to do things God’s way? We cause some of the wreck and ruin in our churches because we have a plan. We implement the plan and accomplish only what we can do. We ask God to bless our plans, and then we promise to give Him the glory when He does. Yet God is not glorified by making our plans succeed. He receives glory when His will is done in His way. Christ is the Head of the body—the church. What a difference it would make if we obeyed Christ as the Head of that body! He could accomplish more in six months through a people yielded to Him than we could do in 60 years without Him.

Exodus 2:11-15

“One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, ‘Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?’

“The man said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?’ Then Moses was afraid and thought, ‘What I did must have become known.’

“When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian.”

Following God’s Ways

 Read the following Scripture and look for God’s response to those who will not follow His ways. Then answer the questions that follow.

“I am the L ORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices” (Ps. 81:10-12).

a. What had God already done for Israel? ________________________________________________

b. What did God promise His people? ________________________________________________

c. How did the people respond? ________________________________________________

d. What did God do? ________________________________________________

 Now read the next two verses to see what could have been true for Israel.

“If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!” (Ps. 81:13-14).

What could have been true if Israel had listened to and followed God?

 ___________________________________________________________
 Locate in your Bible and read Hebrews 3:7-19. Why were the children of Israel denied entrance into the promised land?

________________________________________________________________________

We adjust our lives to God so He will do through us what He wants to accomplish. God is not our servant to adjust His activity to our plans. We are His servants, and we adjust our lives to what He is about to do. If we do not submit, God will allow us to follow our own devices. In following them, however, we will never experience what God wanted to do on our behalf or through us for others.

God brought Israel out of Egypt with many miraculous signs and wonders. Wouldn’t you think the Hebrews would trust God to do anything after that? When they arrived in the promised land, however, they could not trust Him to deliver it to them. For that reason they spent the next 40 years wandering in the wilderness. In Psalm 81 God reminded Israel that He would have conquered their enemies quickly if they had only followed His plans rather than trusting in their own devices and wisdom.

 Answer the following questions.

a. Has God changed the way He works with people as He carries out His plans and purposes?
❏ Yes ❏ No

b. Why are we ever satisfied to pursue our plans when God has so much more for us to experience?

________________________________________________________________________

You Need to Know What God Is About to Do

One year denominational leaders came to our city to discuss long-range plans for an emphasis we had scheduled in the metropolitan area. Top denominational executives were going to work with us to achieve the goals we had set. Yet I was asking myself, What if God calls our nation to judgment before that time? I realized how much I needed to know what God had in mind for my city. Planning what I wanted to do in the future would have been irrelevant if God intended to do something else.

When God called the prophets, He often had a twofold message. God’s first desire was “Call the people to return to Me.” If the people failed to respond, they needed to hear God’s second message: “Let them know that they are closer to judgment than they have ever been.” God’s word to the prophet was “Tell the people: this is what I have done. This is what I am doing right now. This is what I am about to do. Then call them to respond.”

Do you suppose it was crucial for the prophets to understand what God was preparing to do? When God was about to bring a terrible judgment on Jerusalem and destroy the entire city, was it important to know what God was about to do? Certainly!

 How close do you think your country is to God’s judgment? Highlight one.

❏ I do not believe God will bring judgment on my country.

❏ I believe God’s judgment is a long time off.

❏ I cannot understand why God has waited this long. I believe we are on the verge of a major judgment from God.

❏ I believe we are already experiencing a disciplinary judgment like that described in Isaiah 5:1-7.

❏ I believe we have already experienced part of God’s judgment.

What evidence can you give to support your answer?

What effect does your belief have on the way you live?

Understanding what God is about to do where you are is more important than telling God what you want to do for Him. What good would it have done for Abraham to tell God about his plans to take a survey of Sodom and Gomorrah and go door-to-door witnessing the day after God was going to destroy the cities? What good would you do by making long-range plans in your church if God brings judgment on your nation or church before you implement them?

You need to know what God has on His agenda for your church, community, and nation at this time in history. Then you and your church can adjust your lives to God so He can move you into the mainstream of His activity before it is too late. Though God will probably not give you a detailed schedule, He will let you know one step at a time how you and your church need to respond to what He is doing.

 Pray now, asking God to guide your response to Him …

• in your personal life;  

• in your work;

• in your family;

• in your community;

• in your church;

• in our nation.  


You may want to make notes as you continue.

In 1209 Francis of Assisi heard a sermon on Matthew 10:7-10. He immediately recognized it was God’s word to him to sell all he had and devote his life to preaching the gospel and ministering to the poor. As Francis obeyed, others were soon attracted to his ministry. Ultimately, many thousands of men and women devoted their lives to this cause and blessed countless thousands of people in need. God’s word to one young man impacted thousands of people across Europe and around the world.

When God began to speak to John and Charles Wesley, He was preparing to bring a sweeping revival across England that would save the nation from a bloody revolution like the one France suffered. Through these men, along with George Whitefield and others, God was able to do a mighty work and completely turn England around spiritually.

In your community some things are about to happen in the lives of others. God wants to intercept those people to bring about His purposes. Suppose He wants to do it through you! He comes to you and talks to you. But if you are self-centered, you may respond, “I don’t think I have time. I don’t think I am able to do it. And I …”

Do you see what happens? The focus is on self. The moment you sense God is moving in your life, you give Him an extensive list of reasons He has enlisted the wrong person or the time is not convenient (see Ex. 3:11; 4:1). You always need to seek God’s perspective. God knows you can’t do it! He wants to do it Himself through you.

SUMMARY STATEMENTS

Do things God’s way.

God will accomplish more in six months through a people yielded to Him than we could do in 60 years without Him.

I am God’s servant. I adjust my life to what He is about to do.

Understanding what God is about to do where I am is more important than telling God what I want to do for Him.

Review today’s lesson. Pray and ask God to identify one or more statements or Scriptures He wants you to understand, learn, or practice. Highlight them. Then respond to the following.

What was the most meaningful statement or Scripture you read today?

Reword the statement or Scripture into a prayer of response to God.

What does God want you to do in response to today’s study?