Best-Laid Plans

READ: ROMANS 8

Sometimes, even the best-laid plans don’t work out. There’s nothing wrong with planning, and, in fact, it’s healthy. However, what I have learned since I was a teen is that God is working His purposes through all things, even when my own plans fall apart.

Trust me, I know personally the pain of a lost dream and plan.

My fiancé was someone I really loved. We seemed perfect for each other in every way, but ultimately, when we were planning our future, we felt God pulling us in separate directions.

It hurt...bad. There aren’t words to express the anguish of a broken heart.

But do you know what? Because he and I mutually and maturely ended our relationship, I finally took notice of another man who’d always been there for me. This young man helped me through this hardship and many others. Years later, I married him, and we now have four beautiful children together.

It’s good to plan some things, but even when our lives don’t go according to our plans, we can know that in Christ—no matter what we face—God loves us and is working all things out for His good purposes. • Jordyn Johnson

• Reread today’s Scripture passage. What are some of the good plans God is working out for His children? How can these promises comfort us in the face of disappointment and heartbreak?

• Who are trusted people—such as counselors, parents, pastors, or friends—you can talk with when you’re facing disappointment and heartbreak?

• Do you know someone who has been disappointed by a failed plan recently? Consider taking a moment to pray for them. You might even ask God to help you bring them comfort today.

The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart from generation to generation. Psalm 33:11 (CSB)