Erin Campbell Naman, church member since 2009, member of Children’s Council, member of Lay Leadership Council

Proverbs 21:30 (NIV)
There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.

Reflection:
A few weeks in and 2021 hasn’t turned out much better than her predecessor. We are still in the midst of a global pandemic, we are still divided as a country, people are still struggling from financial difficulties, and relationships are still strained from these divided times. Where is the hope? But then I read these 14 words in Proverbs and am reminded that nothing can succeed against the Lord’s plans. And I know from Jeremiah 29:11 that God’s plans are to prosper us, not to harm us, to give us hope and a future. There is the hope. The hope is in God. No wisdom, no insight, no plan can succeed against God. No plan of this broken world can succeed against his plan and his plans are rooted in his love for us. There is the hope, he is the hope.

But there is another, more personal side to this Proverb. Isn’t there always? It also means that MY plans will never succeed like the Lord’s plans will. Ouch, that hurts. I like my plans; I want to follow my wisdom and my insight. I want God to be in control of all that bad outside stuff, but I can take care of myself, thank you very much. Only, I can’t. My plans won’t succeed like God’s. My wisdom is no match for God’s wisdom, my insight is no match for God’s insight. I go to God with my perfectly laid out arguments, my PowerPoint presentation all in order to convince Him of my wisdom, my plan. And when God says no because he knows best, I turn around and do what I want anyway. I don’t need to tell you how that works out. As the Proverb tells us, we can’t succeed against the Lord. And thank goodness for that! In the words of Garth Brooks, I thank God for unanswered prayers. I think of the prayers I have fervently prayed, determined that was the right path for my life, only to have God not answer but in the not answering to lead me towards an even better path. I don’t always willingly submit to this path; I like control. But God is ever patient and ever-loving. Nothing can succeed against God’s plan and God’s plan is for me to prosper, to hope, and to have a future. There is my hope, he is my hope. 

As I finished writing this, I learned that the daughter of a college friend has been diagnosed with cancer. Where is God in this plan? I firmly believe that it is not in God’s plan for a 14-year-old to have cancer, the same way I firmly believe that COVID-19 is not in God’s plan. But as I look at her life, I can see God’s handiwork. Their story is theirs and not mine to tell, but I can tell you that God has been holding her hand every step of the way. God placed her in the home of the perfect parents to navigate this awful diagnosis and in a community that will offer her love and support every step of the way. The difficulties of this broken world are not God’s plan but God will use them all towards his plan. If we let him, God will use it all for good. There is our hope, he is our hope.

Prayer:
God, thank you for your wisdom, your insight, your plans. Thank you for your steadfast love, for loving us so much that no wisdom, insight or plan can succeed against You. I take great comfort in knowing the plans of this broken world cannot succeed against your plans, your rooted-in-love plans. Help me to apply this to my life to let go of the control I feel I need to cling to so that I can surrender to your wisdom, insight, and plans. Let me loosen my grip on control so that I can more firmly cling to your loving hand. Amen.