04. My Life Has A Plan

Romans 8:28 KJV 1900

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

When a baby is born, there is celebration—tears of joy, prayers of thanksgiving, and a sense of wonder.

Imagine Mary holding the Son of God for the first time. Like any mother, she had dreams… she had plans… she had hopes.

But I promise you this—Mary never planned for a cross.

As she stood at Calvary watching Jesus suffer and die, her heart must have shattered. This was not the story she had imagined.

Yet what looked like a tragedy… was actually God’s divine plan.

And the same is true for us today.

1. The Wonder of God’s Plan

(It Begins with Joy We Don’t Fully Understand)

   •   Life often starts with celebration and expectation

   •   Mary experienced awe and amazement at Jesus’ birth

   •   God’s plan often begins in ways that feel beautiful and hopeful

But here’s the truth:

Just because it starts with wonder doesn’t mean we understand it.

   •   God’s purposes are higher than our plans

   •   What God is doing may not be fully visible yet

Truth: God is working—even when we don’t see the whole picture.

2. The Weight of God’s Plan

(It Includes Pain We Didn’t Expect)

   •   Mary never imagined the suffering she would witness

   •   Watching her son die was unimaginable pain

The reality is this:

God’s plan does not exclude pain—it often includes it.

   •   The cross looked senseless

   •   The suffering seemed unnecessary

   •   The sorrow felt overwhelming

Yet even at the cross, God was still in control.

When Jesus spoke from the cross, perhaps hope began to dawn in Mary’s heart—

That this wasn’t the end… this was part of something greater.

Truth: What feels like a burden may actually be a building block in God’s plan.

3. The Workings of God’s Plan

(It Produces Good We Can Eventually Trust)

Romans 8:28 reminds us:

“And we know that all things work together for good…”

   •   Not some things—all things

   •   Not easy things—but even painful things

   •   Not immediately—but eventually

God was working through the cross:

   •   What looked like defeat became victory

   •   What looked like death brought life

   •   What looked like the end became the beginning

And the same God is working in your life.

Truth: God is always working—even when life is unclear.

Conclusion

Mary didn’t understand everything in the moment…

But she could trust the One who wrote the story.

And neither do we.

But we can rest in this truth:

My life has a plan—because my life is in God’s hands.

⸻

Invitation / Challenge

Will you trust God’s plan today—even when you don’t understand it?

   •   Rest in His purpose

   •   Rely on His promise

   •   Release your plans into His hands

Today’s Challenge:

Find a tired or burdened mother.

   •   Take her a small gift

   •   Read Romans 8:28 to her

   •   Pray with her

Remind her:

God has a plan—even when life doesn’t make sense.