Jumping into the Lord’s Plan

Jumping into the Lord’s plan isn’t always easy.

Why do we hate change so much? Personally, I suspect it is because of a deep fear of the unknown. We can be amazingly comfortable with familiar routines even when we know there is something wrong. Adjusting task procedures tend to stir up defensive walls against change simply because we imagine the obstacles and pains changes can create. In spite of the planning and the projected benefits, we reserve total commitment to new procedures. The inner struggle continues until enough time has passed to prove the benefits of the new outweigh the pain of the change.

Knowing Jesus is the one initiating the change makes jumping into the Lord’s plan more peaceful. At least, that has been my experience.

bit of sale offerings
Everything had to go

What if…?

Sometimes changes come in bitesize pieces. They allow us to adjust at a comfortable span of time. But occasionally change requires jumping off our place of security into open space. That is our current situation in the Huff household. While the change started three years ago, the day when we had to fully commit came abruptly. My wife and I both heard the Lord speak to our hearts to move into something smaller and maybe even to a different locale. We hadn’t finished our redecorating before we took a break for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Covid thwarted our good intentions to complete our rehab in the following spring. Two years later without any more rehab work completed the word came to sell — as is immediately. It made little sense to me except we were sure it was from the Lord.

We had reached our jumping off point. The house sold in less than a week and for a bit more than we had hoped for. All of that was grand; however, we still have no direction on where we would establish new residency. Until then, whether by His direction or by His grace covering us, we have been touring the southwest, listening as we go for His will.

Same scene through different eyes

To our family and friends who question our sanity, we tell them we have not adopted a nomadic lifestyle. The trip we are on is a long-awaited vacation and a test to see if the southwest is in God’s heart for us. We smile at them and say it’s quite an adventure. There are some who share our excitement and anticipation. They strengthen our faith with their encouragement. Overall, we have a confidence we are in the Lord’s will and have His peace.

Jumping with his peace

Before we left the keys in the house, closed the door, and drove away from it for the last time, we asked Jesus to guide us with His peace. Jumping off is not normal for us—at least not a jump of this magnitude. Through all our travels, we have sensed the peace we asked for. Different friends have remarked we are like Abram leaving his family and home to seek the land the Lord would point out to him. I agree,, but additionally I remember the instruction Jesus gave the seventy disciples before sending them out to minister the word and power of the kingdom.

“After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, ‘The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ “ (Luke 10:1-11, NKJV).

The mention of peace in this account reminds me of our situation. The disciples had to take the jump, too. Their instructions were far more detailed than ours, their jump greater. Our SUV is packed to a height that I can just see over the luggage, bags, and boxes in my rearview mirror—both the area behind the backseat and in the back seat from the floorboard up. The disciples couldn’t take even an extra pair of sandals.  They took nothing to make their trip easier.

Know his faithfulness

They went completely into unknown pathways. We, on the other hand, have family and friends on our pathway and knew beforehand where we could stay and explore the surroundings. While in each locale, we are asking the Lord for more direction. Our trip map shows us heading back toward the point where our trip began, and as you read this, we will be approaching the last leg of our journey. The disciples took a bigger jump of faith than we did, and they reaped a greater reward. Nevertheless, we have been blessed beyond our expectations in many ways. We may not know our next step in residency, but our trust and confidence in Jesus having it all in his hands has increased.

Jump into the Lord's Plan

This has been our most recent experience , but in our nearly fifty years of marriage, we have made many leaps. The point I want to etch into your thoughts is the unknown is only on your part. Jesus knows the end from the beginning. Jesus said, “Your Father knows what you need.”

As we hear the Lord saying to jump, know it is time to exercise faith—a time to trust him above our reasoning powers. He knows the plans he has. He hasn’t changed, but we are supposed to. It’s not a time for timidity. We are not to fear. He is doing a deeper work in us that we might show a more perfect image of his son Jesus. As Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians 3:18, God is changing us from one level of glory to another, completing the work he began in us. Let him have his perfect way and see what a glorious work he will do.

Highway photo by Meriç Dağlı/ Upsplash

Charles Huff

Charles Huff is a Bible teacher, minister, speaker, husband, father and grandfather. He and his wife have held pastors seminars and taught in various churches, including remote mountain churches in the Philippines. His writing has appeared in www.christiandevotions.us, The Upper Room; articles in three anthologies: Gifts from Heaven: True Stories of Miraculous Answers to Prayer compiled by James Stuart Bell; Short and Sweet Too and Short and Sweet Takes a Fifth, both compiled by Susan Cheeves King.

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