Change of Plans
A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], but the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.
— Proverbs 16:19 AMP
What happens when God changes your plans? You’ve mapped out your life on a timeline, everything is moving forward smoothly, and then—suddenly—something beyond your control shifts everything. How do you respond? What do you do?
In Scripture, we see that Joseph experienced this very thing. His father sent him to find his brothers and bring back a report. Joseph went after them and eventually found them at Dothan. When his brothers saw him from a distance, they conspired to kill him.
They said, “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.”
But Reuben intervened, urging them not to take Joseph’s life. Instead, he suggested throwing Joseph into a pit, planning secretly to rescue him later. When Joseph arrived, his brothers stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors—and threw him into an empty cistern.
As they sat down to eat, they noticed a caravan of Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt. Judah suggested selling Joseph instead of killing him: “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” The brothers agreed, and Joseph was sold for twenty shekels of silver and taken to Egypt.
Before this betrayal, Joseph had dreamed that his family would one day bow before him. His brothers hated him for this dream and for their father’s special love toward him. At only seventeen, Joseph found himself in a situation he never imagined—betrayed and sold into slavery through no fault of his own. His plans had changed in an instant.
When we read further, we see that Joseph didn’t fight back; he surrendered to what had happened. Surely he felt hurt, betrayed, heartbroken, disappointed, and angry. Yet Scripture tells us that God was with him and gave him favor. God’s favor didn’t erase the pain, but it was evident in Joseph’s life. Though Joseph endured confusion, hurt, disappointment, isolation, and injustice, God was still directing his steps.
Like Joseph, we are all born with a purpose. Part of Joseph’s purpose was to save his family during a seven-year famine. God didn’t let Joseph’s emotional pain derail His plan. Instead, He had already planted vision in Joseph through a dream, giving him something to hold onto as he trusted God.
God’s purposes for our lives often come with testing and circumstances that seem unfair. When those unexpected shifts happen, we may feel abandoned, but God is preparing us. The challenge is not to let our emotions rule us. That’s why it’s so important to seek God and lay everything at His throne. When we release our plans to Him, we begin to see through our spiritual eyes His hand at work, even if we don’t fully understand the process or outcome.
Joseph’s path even led him to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Yet Scripture says: “The Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” God’s plans aren’t always easy, but He never leaves us nor forsakes us.
Even Jesus prayed, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42). When life brings us a sudden and painful change, we must remember the same truth: God doesn’t move according to our will, but so that His will may be done.
I pray that when sudden changes come in our lives, we embrace the comfort, love, and support God provides as we surrender our will to Him.
Key Takeaways
Our plans are not the priority—God’s are.
The plan was established before the beginning of time.
Humility requires surrender to His purpose.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19; Isaiah 55:11
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