The Problem with My Perfect Plan - Encouragement for Today - September 29, 2026
The Problem with My Perfect Plan
Lysa TerKeurst
“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV).
I am a planner. A problem solver. When I bring my struggles to the Lord in prayer, I also tend to bring my carefully thought-out ideas and suggestions He can choose from.
Here’s what I think will work, Lord. I just need You to sign off on one of these, OK?
But the longer I walk with Him, the more I’m discovering that simply isn’t the way God works. Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’”
Today I also want to introduce you to another Old Testament friend who has something to teach us about God’s ways: Joshua.
In Joshua 6, we find him and the Israelites experiencing a problem of epic proportions. There was a massive wall preventing them from moving forward into Jericho, part of their promised land. I’m sure there was no shortage of ideas on how they should tackle the wall, but God didn’t ask anyone for their opinion. Not even Joshua, Israel’s leader.
Instead, God asked for His people’s complete and unwavering obedience. Obedience to a battle plan that would have made no sense to their rational minds. A plan that actually involved no “battle” whatsoever.
All God wanted them to do was march. For six days straight, they were to march around the walls of Jericho. Then, on the seventh day of marching, they were to end with trumpet blasts and a great shout. God declared this mighty sound would bring the walls down.
What moves me most about the Israelites’ part in this story isn’t so much their willingness to take that first step of obedience. It’s how they kept taking steps of obedience.
Step after step after step.
Even though nothing appeared to change… even though there wasn’t a single sign of cracking or crumbling in those massive walls… they kept marching.
What if they’d stopped after day two? Or day three? Or even day six?
Think of all they would have missed. They would have cheated themselves out of certain victory from God.
I don’t say any of this casually, as if it’s easy to keep going with God’s instructions when there’s no evidence of our situation changing and we feel tempted to take matters into our own hands. It’s hard when we don’t see God moving the way we thought He would. It’s difficult to trust He’s working behind the scenes.
So what do we do when He asks us to move in ways that don’t make sense to us? How do we keep marching when the situation still looks hopeless?
We make the same choice the Israelites made. We choose to walk by faith, not by sight. We take God at His word and hold fiercely to His promises.
God had promised Joshua that He would deliver Jericho, its king, and its army into Israel’s hands. And that is exactly what God did.
The victory of God’s people never hinged on their ability or any of their well-thought-out plans. It was solely dependent on their unwavering obedience offered to a loving and mighty God.
I don’t know what steps of obedience God is currently calling you to take that don’t make sense to you. But let me be the gentle whisper in your ear encouraging you to keep going. Keep trusting. Keep taking step after step after obedient step.
We don’t have to understand the “why” of God’s ways in order to follow them.
So let’s not stop short of our victory with God. He is working things out. He is present. His plan is still good, and He can still be trusted. These are certainties even when life feels so very uncertain.
Lord, I confess that at times my heart feels discouraged when I don’t see immediate results from my steps of obedience. Thank You for reminding me that just because I can’t see You moving, that doesn’t mean You aren’t moving. Please help me as I walk by faith, not sight. Day after day. Step by step. In Jesus’ name, amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
When life doesn’t make sense and you can’t see evidence of God working, it’s easy to feel afraid and uncertain. In her new book, Making Peace with What I Can’t Control, Lysa TerKeurst offers biblical wisdom and heartfelt encouragement for those difficult seasons, helping you see glimpses of God’s goodness, release the pressure to manage outcomes, and find a way forward even in the midst of unanswered questions. You can get your copy today.
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FOR DEEPER STUDY
Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (NIV).
In which areas of your life have you been hesitant to move in obedience to God? What steps of obedience might you need to take even though you feel weary?
Ask a close friend to pray for you as you choose to move forward — one faith-filled step at a time. And share your thoughts with us in the comments!
© 2026 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.
GO DEEPER:
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Lysa TerKeurst is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries. Her latest book is Seeing Beautiful Again: 50 Devotions to Find Redemption in Every Part of Your Story (March 2021). Lysa lives with her family in North Carolina. Connect with her at LysaTerKeurst.com or on social media @LysaTerKeurst.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
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