16 Feb Don’t start over. Just begin again.

When things don’t go as you plan, do you wish you could just start over?

Hear me, friend: Don’t start over. Just begin again.

An old Scottish proverb says, “the best-laid plans often go awry.” It refers to something that hasn’t turned out well or been as successful as one had hoped—despite planning, careful preparations and efforts that may prove to be an exercise in futility when the outcome is not certain.

But God has written to His children (that’s you who have put your faith in Jesus Christ) in His faithful, perfect, sovereign Word, that we are to plan according to His will, and TRUST Him with the execution and outcome of those plans.

We may plan to go one way, and He reroutes us another. We may block out time on our calendar and set a clear path to do certain things to accomplish our plans, but then He sends interruptions into our day, our year, and our plans seem to have “gone awry.”

But have they?

Are these exercises in futility? Or are they opportunities to trust in the sovereignty of God and His ways?

Right. When our plans don’t follow the plan we’ve made it just may be that in His sovereignty God has rerouted us to a better plan, on a better path, at a better time.

So, what do we do?

We begin again. Right where we are. Take the next step.

And when you don’t know what that next step is or what to do—do what you know:

• Listen to God in His Word.
• Recalibrate under His truth.
• Trust what He says and act on it.
• Seek the prayerful godly counsel of a few others.
• Take a deep breath, thank God for His daily mercies, and begin again.

God is keeping up with you. He’s got you. You don’t have to prove anything.

Encourage your heart with this:

• Prov. 16:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
• Prov. 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
• Prov. 15:22 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.
• Philippians 1:6 God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears (MSG).

I love y’all!
xo – P♥️