One thing we all have in common is that our lives will not go as planned. Maybe you’re a planner like me. I used to pride myself on planning, juggling millions and achieving a lot. I was a woman who was like to do. If my plans don’t go as I wanted, I feel stressed, I will continue to wake up at night and work hard to ensure that life is OK.
The problem with planning and preparation is that life happens. Much of what happens to us is out of our control. Many times, God had to show me that my perfect plan for my life doesn’t always happen. I admit that the first few times God interrupted my plans were not happy.
It felt like a form of suffering that my plans were not going well. After a while I began to grow in my relationship with God. The more I read the Bible and prayed, the more I saw God actually was behind everything. His heart is always loving towards me.
At 23, I gave birth to my first baby. I had an unexpected C-section with drug complications. Nursing was tough and he was a very noisy baby. As a new mom, I had a hard time figuring out why maternality was so difficult. Not only did the baby, but there were lots of tears. Postpartum depression also appeared during this time, and I was not prepared for any of it. Throughout that time I learned about God’s faithfulness, care, and love.
Out of despair, I began to read more of the Bible and study it. None of my motherly plans worked, but I grew up to dependence on God.
Over the past 20 years, God has appeared in my life through every twist and rotation. If I were to return to that 23-year-old self, I would tell her some things about God. The main thing I say to her would be this:
God’s plan for our lives is always good. We can trust him.
God felt very absent during that time, but honestly, he felt that he was absent at other times as well, but he was not absent. Just because I didn’t know how everything would work, it didn’t mean that God had forgotten me, didn’t care about me, or abandoned me. The most comfortable I have received in those times comes from studying the Bible.
The Bible contains countless stories of God working in and through ordinary people. The story after the story tells how God used the imperfect people to achieve his plan. Often these people didn’t see the big picture. They rarely experienced the fruits of their faith or got answers to their questions.
But their stories in the Bible encourage us to know that God is still writing our own stories and that we are part of the larger plan that spreads beyond us. Let’s take a look at the seven stories and see if God is always working behind the scenes for them. This also gives us hope that God is working in our lives.
1. Abraham and Sarah: God waits and works behind the scenes.
Waiting can make us feel like God has left us. It is difficult to continue praying when prayers are not answered, life is put on hold and pain remains. The story of Abraham and Sarah sees the couple struggling through decades of infertility. Their wait was marked by faith (Hebrews 11:8-12), but I am sure it was not easy to wait. God seemed lacking in their waiting, but God was at work. My son Isaac was born at the right time and in the right way. God never left them, and when you read their stories in Genesis 12-16, you can see how God is with us in our waiting.
2. Moses: God works behind the scenes through rejection.
God’s plan for Moses’ life took a lot of time. If you know the story of Moses, you know that at age 40 he was ready to lead people from slavery to the Promised Land. Instead, Moses faced rejection and ultimately ended up living in the wilderness for the next 40 years. That year, God was not only with him, but also preparing him. Forty years when Moses was taking care of the sheep, God allowed him to prepare him to become the shepherd of Israel. In Exodus 1-5, Moses’ story shows us how God always works to redeem, even if we face rejection.
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3. Joseph: God works behind the scenes through silence.
Other characters in the Old Testament did not have as many twists and turns as Joseph. Joseph, who was sold to slavery as a teenager, sent to prison for false accusations, forgotten for two years and rejected, probably thought God had forgotten him. Joseph finally got up to save his whole family from starvation. If Joseph had only seen his situation, he would have agreed that it seemed God had left him.
In Genesis 39:2 we read these words: “The Lord was with Joseph…” God was still with Joseph during all his trials. At the end of his life, Joseph recognized the hand of God and said: (ESV) Genesis 50:20. God is at work, even if we don’t feel or hear him. God works it all for His glory and for our goodness.
4. Job: God works behind the scenes through suffering.
Joseph certainly suffered, but no one can argue that his work is suffering more. The job suffered from loss of his children, wealth and health. In all this, Job did not deny God or curse him. Job questioned God and lamented the sadistic life he had forgiven. But in the end, Job offers us a great example of perseverance through suffering. We can bring questions, doubts and sorrows to God. Just as we do, we can trust, like Job, that God still rules and loves us. We don’t suffer alone. You may not get an answer to the “why” pain that occurs, but you can look for “who.” Who is God, and He helps us with our hearts and love.
5. Ruth: God works behind the scenes through ordinary people.
Ruth’s book tells the story of two women. Ruth’s life was full of sadness and normal life. Ruth only went to the field to provide food to herself and her stepmother when God coordinated salvation for both. The two women were widows, but Ruth did not complain or throw away Naomi. Instead, Ruth was loyal to doing normal things. Just as Ruth did what she should have done, God weaved her path to a new family. God has recovered not only Ruth’s family, but Naomi’s family as well. God can use our ordinary service for His glory and we may never see how He solved everything!
6. Esther: God works behind the scenes through Providence.
God’s name is never mentioned throughout Esther’s book. Instead, we read stories of “occurred” or “matched” that made us feel like there’s no way to “occurred.” God’s fingerprints are found throughout Esther’s story. The drama unfolds and sees God’s invisible hand save his people and do so using an ordinary girl and her uncle. Esther’s story is a great encouragement for us. Even if no one admits that God is working behind the scenes, he is! Reading Easter books can encourage us to trust that God’s plan will come out.
7. Daniel: God works behind the scenes through prayer.
Daniel experienced a powerful answer to his prayers in Daniel 10:12. After he prayed, the angel came to Daniel. Here’s what Daniel 10:12 says: “Then he (angel) told me, “Daniel, from the first day I understood myself, humbled and prepared my heart before your God, I heard your words. I came for your words. “God worked through Daniel’s prayers!
As we walk through this life, there are moments when life is not over as we expected. Disappointment may be right there. Even with this, God is at work! God’s redeem, plan, purpose always wins. You can read my book and read about how this unfolds specifically in Moses’ life. I didn’t sign up for this. Discover the goodness of God in your own story today.
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Sarah E. Fraser is a writer, Bible study leader, Jason’s wife and mother of five. In a missionary background, Sarah encourages tired women to find Jesus’ peace. She is a regular contributor to the Proverb 31 First 5 App Writing team and is a feature writer on Crosswalk.com. Her favorite place is @sarah_e_frazer’s Instagram.
