January 26, 2026

Nolan Hopkins
"Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them."
Acts 16:6-10

As those who are in Christ, we all strive to make plans that glorify God and further His Kingdom. But sometimes we find that God will redirect or interrupt our plans in ways we don’t expect or even like. In fact, even our most carefully thought-out and well-intentioned plans rarely go the way we hoped. In this passage, God redirects Paul’s plan to enter Bithynia (which seems to be no big deal to Paul). But what happens when God redirects our plans in big ways? How will we respond when our plans don’t align with God’s?

Having recently graduated from college, I’ve had more opportunities to wrestle with that question than ever before: How will I respond when my plans and God’s conflict? I’ve spent a lot of my life dreaming and making plans in preparation for life after finishing school, but most of those plans didn’t end up aligning with reality after graduation. The immediate temptation, of course, is to blame God for thwarting my plans for my life. Surely, I would know what’s best for myself… right? Unfortunately, I do not. But fortunately, God does! Isaiah 55:9 says that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than our own, and Romans 8:28 says that God works all things together for those who love Him. If both of those things are true, then we can trust that God is guiding us along the best path for our lives even when we don’t always understand His methods.

As we all have experienced, trusting God with the reins of our lives is easier said than done. But when I find myself doubting that God is really working all things together for my good, I remind myself of something Tim Keller often says regarding interrupted plans and unmet expectations: “God will only give you what you would have asked for if you knew everything he knows.” When I look back at my life and see how God has worked through even the hardest moments of my life, that quote rings true every time.

Realizing that God, our good and perfect Father, is at work through the many trials of life, changes my posture from one of individual defiance to desperate reliance. May we find comfort in Jesus’ words when our plans don’t go the way we thought:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭‬‬