Best Laid Plans

For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. The God of peace be with you all. Amen. Romans 15:26-33

Paul had mentioned to the Church at Rome that he was planning to come visit them after he had taken the Jerusalem Church the material contributions from the Gentile Churches in Greece. The Jerusalem Church had been under persecution and were enduring poverty because of it. Those Gentile believers in the Greek Churches were reaping the spiritual benefits of their Jewish brethren, who had always known the Old Testament scriptures and the prophecies of the Messiah. It is a privilege in Christianity to be able to help our brethren in need. They benefit from the material help and we benefit from the pure pleasure of giving to fellow believers.

Paul, at the time he wrote this, fully intended to visit Rome and believed it was God’s will for him to do that. Actually, God had other plans for Paul. It is not as if Paul didn’t realize the danger that awaited him in Jerusalem. He did realize it, and knew he could deal spiritually with whatever came (Acts 10:14). Still, he urged the Romans to support him in prayer against the Judean unbelievers who hated him and the Church. He was also concerned that the Jerusalem Church would graciously accept the generous gifts of the Greeks.

We believers can know for certain that we are within God’s direct will in our spiritual service at any given moment. By being filled with the Holy Spirit and exercising the spiritual gifts we were given at salvation, recognizing opportunities and redeeming the time, actually whatever activity we are in is divine service for the Kingdom of God. We maintain our moment-by-moment fellowship with the Father; we take in and store categorical Bible doctrine in our souls, and when we speak we will disseminate that Bible doctrine to our surroundings. That is the Christian Life. That is our calling.

What we cannot know is what will happen next. We can make plans and have expectations, but only God knows where we go from here. Paul was anticipating, but he could not know the future events of his own life. James 4:14: you do not even know what will happen tomorrow . It wasn’t chastisement and he wasn’t being arrogant or foolish, he was using human reason to form an itinerary in his own mind and communicating it to the Church. Proverbs 16:9: In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.

We can anticipate and reason; nothing wrong with that. Still, only the Lord knows where and how we will be of service next. Our job is to be always prepared with Bible doctrine to give the right answer. To quote Oswald Chambers: "do the next thing."

I Peter 3:14-16: But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats ; do not be frightened.”But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

Praise God, we don’t know what’s coming tomorrow. No matter how tough and/or spiritually prepared we think we are, anticipating adversity is always a distraction. Let’s just keep walking; one foot, then the other, as God leads us day by day. Wherever we are, that’s our mission field. Whatever we say, that testifies to our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our shield and our exceeding great reward.