God’s Plan > Your Plan - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - December 05, 2025
"We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps" (Proverbs 16:9, NLT).
What is your biggest dream? Is it to live in a mansion, or to make so much money that you never have to worry about money again? Or, your dream is to travel the world. Your heart longs to see God's creation, and something within calls you to explore Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
No matter the dream, one thing is sure: If you don't plan how to accomplish the goal or ambition, you never will. Our imaginations can run wild all we want, but without practical action steps, they are merely daydreams and magical figments.
When I was 14, I felt the Lord tell me that I was called to be an author. In 2010, being an author sounded all the rage. I couldn't wait to write books, produce thousands of articles, and share the Gospel in this way. Little did I know that this calling would require so much more than words on a page. And over the years, I've learned something important about pursuing our dreams.
While God invites us to plan and pursue our deepest desires, He also asks us to trust Him more than our own plans.
In Proverbs 16:9, we read that God isn't against planning. In fact, He actually encourages wisdom and stewardship. We're told to count the costs before we begin anything, such as building a house or becoming one of His followers. But here's the catch—He wants the final authority over the direction of your life. Why? Because He knows what's best, and while we can't see the future trajectory mapped out, He can.
Planning is reasonable and necessary, but it becomes a problem if it isn't open and flexible to the Lord's will. So, what do we do? We can learn to plan and pursue a path, but we must allow God to guide the pace, turns, timing, and terrain. In other words, we can daydream and work towards our goals, but ultimately, we must surrender them wholly to Him.
This all sounds lovely, right? We plan, but God directs. And it's beautiful until we struggle with control. How do I know? Because I love control and hate feeling out of control. We love control because it feels safe and secure. But God offers something better beyond our vision. He gives us purpose, protection, provision, and perspective. As Mr.Beaver in the Chronicles of Narnia notes to Susan:
"Safe? Who said anything about safe? Of course, He isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you" (The Chronicles of Narnia).
Allowing God to be in charge of your life doesn't mean you lose control over your choices. God has given each of us the gift of wisdom, discernment, and free will through Jesus. But God's sovereignty weaves our choices into His greater story.
If you're struggling to plan, but then let God have the reins, I want to normalize your frustrations. When things don't go the way we planned or wanted, God sees you and never shames your emotions. It's normal to question, doubt, and cry out in anguish.
But once you've processed, I'd invite you to see these changes not as failures or let-downs, but divine redirections.
-That relationship didn't work out because God was protecting your heart.
-That job didn't open up because He had a better one in store.
-The delay wasn't punishment but preparation for something you couldn't even imagine.
Realigning your vision to these redirections doesn't ignore reality, but helps you to release the pressure of having to know and understand everything right now. It allows us to let go of knowing "what's next" in exchange for the presence of His faithfulness in the present moment.
Where do you feel pressure to control the outcome at the moment? Where might God be redirecting you?
As you process these questions, pray with open hands. Name the dream or plan you're gripping tightly and then release your hands. Ask God to guide your steps even if they look different from what you dreamed or imagined.
Dear Jesus,
Today, I surrender my hopes, dreams, plans, and greatest desires to you. You know the desires of my heart, but you also know what's best for me. Please help me hold these ambitions with open hands as you guide my next steps. When the path feels unfamiliar, delayed, or like the biggest disappointment, please remind me to trust your timing. Thank you for your wisdom, grace, truth, and love. Please help me to trust you today. We love, praise, and thank you, Lord. Amen.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Emma Simpson
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
