Introduction

Psalm 138 contains a verse that absolutely thrilled me the first time I heard it. And today, all these years later, I'm still enthusiastic about this verse, verse 8, even more now than then. Here's what it says: "The Lord will work out his plans for my life."

When I was a teenager and first became serious about following Christ, I would sometimes worry about missing out on God's plan for my life. I would ask myself, "How am I supposed to know which college to go to, which subjects to take, which career path to follow?" I was considering going into the ministry, but I often wondered which kind of ministry I should pursue. Should I be a pastor, a seminary professor, a worship leader, or a teacher? As an adult, there have been times when I have second-guessed myself, asking: "Am I really on the right track? What if I was supposed to be a lawyer, or a school teacher, or a professional baseball player?" (I think we can easily rule that last one out.)

In times of doubt, this verse of scripture, in fact, this entire Psalm, has offered me comfort and assurance. It reminds me that I don't have to bear the burden of making every good thing happen in my life. God will work out his plans for me.

Today we'll talk about how this truth works itself out in our lives. First, here's the disclaimer. This doesn't mean we are to live without ambition or without any sense of direction in life. It doesn't mean that we're to wander aimlessly day to day waiting for God to blaze a trail for us. What it does mean is this: as we strive to live according to God's will, we have the assurance that he is working on our behalf, behind the scenes, so to speak, pulling strings and making things happen according to his plan.

In the John Grisham novel, ...

Steve May has been a pastor to pastors for more than 20 years, helping preachers and teachers to become more effective communicators of the gospel.