Beautifully Broken- A Study For Special Needs ParentsSample

God has a plan, doesn't He?

How does it look when our well laid plans get tossed out the window? It's frustrating, right? We prepare, plan, and begin to witness our hard fought goals only to see our well intended ideas never come to fruition. But do we ever consider, right at the beginning of abrupt changes, that God has a different story for us? What if we could stop right then and there and take the focus off what we believed should happen and focus on believing in Who makes things happen?

God's providence and sovereignty are beautifully illustrated in the story of  the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. We can be just like that pagan, egotistical king. Just like Nebuchadnezzar, we can be right in the midst of God's great plan & not grasp it. We can be so focused on what we desire, how we think things should go, that we can't fully see the truth of the situation. 

After seeing Daniel interpret his wild dreams and saw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego saved from a horribly hot fire, Nebuchadnezzar still seemed confused about God's true sovereignty. He gave God lip service by saying it was "his pleasure to tell about the miraculous signs & wonders of the Most High God" (Daniel 4:2-3). But King Nebuchadnezzar just didn't get it. He didn't fully understand and know the truth of who God is and how Gods providence works. Even when given a vision in another dream about his impending doom, Nebuchadnezzar looked the other way and believed he was in total control.

Nebuchadnezzar thought he could go his own way in spite of God's warnings. He didn't realize God can't & won't be thwarted because He is King of kings & Lord of lords.  We have to get on board with God's plans, we can't try to fit Him into ours. And King Nebuchadnezzar had been given a fair and advanced warning. God had a plan for Nebuchadnezzar, but he didn't believe it and  couldn't see it because he was entrenched in his own expectations.

Proverbs 16:9 says "In his heart a man plans his course but the Lord determines his steps". The word "determine" in Hebrew is kûn. It means to provide, prepare, direct, or make secure. God is the director, firm in His decisions on our direction. That's providence.

We doubt God's providence and sovereignty in putting us in the position of  parenting a child with special needs. We might not feel called, capable, or even worthy of the task in any way. Doubting God's plan is actually the easy way out. It takes courage & strength to hold on when things seem impossible. We need to hold firmly to the truth that He is who He says He is. If there isn't anything that God isn't sovereign over than how can we not trust that His plan for our special needs  family isn't perfect?

Reflection:

Is there anything God isn't sovereign over?

Can you live outside God's purpose for your life?

Can you thwart God's plan for your life?