God said, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end’ (Revelation 22:13 CEV). God determines the end result He wants, then starts at the beginning and works towards it. He ‘always does what he plans’. Joseph discovered that even when your family turns against you, God’s plan is still in effect. Looking back, he said, ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good’ (Genesis 50:20 NIV). But don’t confuse ‘good’ with ‘comfortable’. When God corrects or redirects you, it doesn’t always feel good. But it is good! David said, ‘When you corrected me, it did me good because it taught me to study your laws’ (Psalm 119:71 CEV). If you’re not sure of God’s plan, seek Him until He shows it to you. Other things may seem more urgent, but nothing is more important. And if you already know God’s plan, be assured that no human action can cancel it. The psalmist wrote, ‘The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever’ (Psalm 138:8 NIV). God has already made ‘the way of escape’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV) for every situation that Satan can come up with to push us off course. Paul reassures us: ‘God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it’ (v.13 NKJV). It’s in the times of testing that we discover ‘God is faithful’. He’ll stretch us, but never beyond our breaking point. His plan is for us to come out of the experience stronger and ready for what’s next in His plan.

What Now?

Do you know someone who’s going through a testing time right now? Ask God for a word of encouragement that you could pass on to them and help them stay strong.