LET THE LORD'S PURPOSE PREVAIL

Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

Several years ago God burned this particular verse in my memory. Looking back, I am certain it was one of God's quiet ways of preparing me for life decisions that were awaiting me in the future. Just the fact that God opened my eyes to this verse strengthens my faith because several years ago I was not on a path of pursuing God and His purpose. It reminds me that while I was only occasionally thumbing through the scripture during a ritualistic "quiet time", God was even then reaching for me and softening my heart. What stood out as just a "cool" verse at the time has grown to be an anchor of truth and encouragement on a journey full of twists and turns.

As you have probably gathered by now, I spent the first 19 years of my life on a detour and have just recently been found and rescued from my life of persistent failure and foolishness. In college, I chose to study accounting (I picked this major for the money and status - thank goodness God works through our ignorance). I have loved my classes and am finishing up in December with a 4.0 and plenty of accolades to show for my hard work. I say this not to brag, but to make sure you understand where I'm headed. I do recognize that none of this would have been accomplished without the hand of God. And honestly, who really enjoys class as much as I have enjoyed learning accounting? That's all the proof I need to know God worked through my lack of faith and obedience to lead me where He could use me. The practical route upon graduating, as logically determined by my own reason & everyone close to me, is to get my masters in accounting, possibly do an internship (which I was assured would be basically handed to me), sit for the CPA, and then work for a public firm building my financial cushion. All of this sounded wonderful in the beginning, and even after I had laid my life down for God, I was considering this path. While this is a wonderful path for those CALLED to the field, I was uneasy and restless about it for a year once I began praying for God's way in my life. I've never prayed harder about anything in my life (which is really a shame, but this experience has taught me how precious prayer is), and of course, God came through! First with the lack of peace about accounting graduate school, then with closed doors for an internship, and all the while he was nesting a desire deep down in me (for the last 3 years) to study psychology. In one of my closest friend's attempts to keep me from missing the practical path, he said to pursue accounting further even if it means detouring from God's path. He said that God would bring me back and that it would be a misuse of God given talent to stop accounting now. Immediately, I was reminded of Proverbs 19:21 and was given strength to recognize how my same foolish logic from the past 19 years could potentially keep me bound and miserable if I didn't follow where God was quietly nudging me to go. That quiet nudge became obvious instruction as I prayed for God to remove the desire to pursue psychology if it was not from Him. And wouldn't you know, the craziest, most impractical path has become the one God is sending me on! I'm headed to seminary to study marriage & family counseling. I LOVE MY GOD AND THE TWISTS AND TURNS THAT HE FAITHFULLY GUIDES ME THROUGH! I don't understand God's ways and will never pretend to. But as it has been true over the last few years, I know one day I'll be able to look back in retrospect and understand a little bit more of why God has placed me where He has. I'm so thankful that He gives me a chance to be used in His great, majestic plan! He teaches me moment by moment that all he asks for is a relationship which is built by love & obedience each step of the way. Where ever His path may lead... however impractical and crazy it may seem to my human reason... I'll always follow. No more detouring for me!