God's Plan

​Do you ever feel trapped by God’s plan?
 
Moving to Georgia was the right thing to do. It was clear that God was calling us to go, so we packed up and went. 
 
The move was challenging, but good. We learned the area, found our people and even began checking out local churches. I found purpose as a stay at home mom, serving with a local Bible study program and upkeeping our home. Life was good.
 
Our season of plenty lasted 4 years. In 2011 everything seemed to go wrong. Year by year our life of green pastures turned to one of hardship, disbelief and fear. 

​I think the Isrealites experienced similar emotional upheaval. They were minding their own business when, without chastisement or explanation, their status changed from a people privileged to despised (Ex. 1:8-14). Though the burden on the Israelites intensified, God, as promised, continued to expand their numbers, but as their population grew, so did their oppression. 
 
Did the Israelites ever wonder what they had done to bring such a heavy burden upon themselves? Did they question their worth? Their purpose? The why of it?
 
We know God had a plan for Israel and it began with a boy named Moses.  
 
But, I wasn’t Moses. God wasn’t calling me to stage an exodus or address a nation. Honestly, I didn't know what to do anymore. I felt lost and trapped. Tethered to a circumstance out of my control. Although I knew God was working, I just wanted out. I wonder if any Israelite felt the same?
 
I didn’t understand it, but God had everything in His hand and just as He grew Israel into a great nation under the oppression of Pharaoh, He was at work in my heart, growing me towards spiritual maturity.
 
It was my mindset, not my situation that had me trapped. I had been so conditioned to relate my success to my actions, that I didn’t know how to be at peace with my role when everything around me was coming undone. 
 
I was, like the Israelites, in a situation outside of my control. However, God is always in control, and He used an external circumstance to free me from an internal prison.
 
So friends, listen up and repeat after me: Circumstantial change does not cancel our calling.
 
The role of Israel as a nation did not change because of their oppression. They remained God’s people. Called to Him. Grown through oppression into a great nation. 
 
God always has a plan.
 
I wish I had realized sooner that being trapped in God’s plan is a good place to be. It is where he grows us. Where He is demonstrates His love in miraculous ways and where He frees us from burdens we were never meant to carry.
 
It was a lie that I had lost my calling. The way I related to it shifted, but my purpose had not. God’s plan was for an internal change to allow me to fulfill my calling in a deeper way. 
In His wisdom, He taught me that lesson in the middle of our hardship. 
 
If you feel trapped in His plan, let me encourage you to go to God in prayer and ask Him if there is something internal from which He is trying to set you free, and allow Him access to break the bonds. Shift your thinking and choose to live in the freedom that is God’s plan.

Memory Verse: “And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 
1 Peter 5:10

About the Author

Hi! I’m Martha Rudolph. My husband John and I have been married since 2004 and have 4 children ages 15, 13, 8 and 8. Once you add in two furry friends and a bonus family member, quiet can be quite illusive making it all the more precious. My soul finds peace in those still morning moments with my coffee, Bible and quirky personality one on one with God. I’m honored to share those moments of encouragement with you through writing. Connect with me at www.martharudolph.weebly.com.