Photo Credit: Pfly via Creative Commons

[dropcaps style= ‘square’]S[/dropcaps]aying “yes” to God is one of the easiest and hardest things to do. Some are more willing to say yes, while some of us have to undergo major “heart” surgery to say yes. The heart of the issue is that we want security, safety, and certainty. Yet, when I keep reading my Bible, I don’t find that as the answer. I keep reading stories of people who had to rely wholeheartedly on God.

Saying Yes

God asked Abraham to leave everything and go to a land that he had never visited. He was uprooted from his past so that he could walk into an uncertain future. You know what happened? God blessed him with more than he had before he left. Abraham’s adventure started with yes.

Rahab’s life also changed when she said yes. As the Israelite spies were in Jericho, she gave them refuge, even though she didn’t know what would happen to her. They said that they would spare her life, but she had to trust. Her life was changed by saying yes to an uncertain future.

Noah built an ark even though everyone thought he was crazy. From the surface, it didn’t make sense. In saying yes to God, he didn’t know what it would mean. He had never seen rain. Yet, he believed God and saying yes to an uncertain future would save his family.

The Plan

God works in different ways than we would expect. We want the plan; He wants our hand. Saying “yes” to God is a challenge when we want to be in control. But, when we allow God to have the final say, we can be confident that He will be there to walk with us. God does not require us to make decisions for 20 years from now. He didn’t require Abraham, Rahab, or Noah to know the outcome of their lives either. He just asks that we obey today.

It’s the 20 years from now part that can throw people off. We want to work backwards – know the outcome then plan our course of action. Yet, in some seasons of life, God’s direction won’t make sense. We won’t be able to create a venn diagram on a legal pad. We won’t be able to see the connection points. Our charted course will seem messed up. It might even require us to let go of some of our plans. This may challenge our logic, but the reality is that God’s design is better than our structure. We can have a misperception that when we let go of our plans that we will settle for less. The thing is that we can’t out give God. Psalm 31:19 (NLT) says, “How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you.You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.” God is good and wants to be good to you. He wants to bless us, but many times it starts with one simple word – yes.

If we are worried about protecting our plans, we need to remember that we are actually trading your plans for an even better plan. Because, ultimately, following Jesus is the best plan. If that plan leads us to places that we didn’t expect, it’s ok. Following Jesus will always take us on a journey that we didn’t expect. God is in the unexpected. He is not surprised; He is orchestrating the details of your life.