I am a born Christian, but I have my own share of doubts. But I still want to believe that there is an Almighty God, and that I can put my life in His hand as He is my only hope in life. And I am making efforts to believe in Him 100%.

But I am thoroughly confused.:confused: If God has some plan for me, how do I know it? Something happens in my life, something that I can’t be in charge of, and I think that it is God's plan for me, but NO! It is not! There is something else.. And just when I think that it is another God's plan, phut it goes away. Why does so many "unnecessary" wrong things happen in my life, whereas I have just left everything in His hands? Why is God showing me all the stuffs that weren’t meant to happen, and then make it go away? When on earth is He going to show me the right path. Looks like I am taking a series of wrong turns for no fault of mine:(... and my faith is just being floundered. Am I to just sit back and take all this screwing?:mad: How to do I get to know God's plan for me. My prayers seems like its being thrown into air!

I can only tell you what I have learned(and am still learning) about God's plans for each of our lives AND give you some examples of those people of His He has written about in the Bible.

Letting God be God is not easy. We may say and even try hard to let God be in charge but our dissatisfaction with how we think God is treating us gives us away. Since Adam, WE want to determine good and evil according to how we see it.

ALL the saints(those who were/are God's called children) grumble once in a while. Some to great excess:
Moses and the people that God called from the slavery of Egypt are great examples. At 40 years old Moses thought he was doing what God wanted when he killed and Egyptian who was mistreating an Israelite. Moses had to run for his life. The next 40 years were spent being a "nobody" shepherd in the desert. Finally, at 80 years old, God speaks to him from a miraculous burning bush of His plan to set the Israelites free. And Moses says, "I can't! It's too scarey and hard". Moses wants all kinds of signs and help, but eventually goes back to Egypt to BEGIN doing God's plan for Moses life. (At 80 years old)

The Israelites are the same: happy to hear of freedom from intolerable slavery. But they don't like the suffering of getting free. They complain from the beginning that God is not treating them the way they want Him to. THEY want to tell God HOW He should do it... THEY want to be God's master. They grumble and complain so much that an eleven day trip to a land which God has given to them becomes 40 long years in the dessert wandering around the mountains again and again. Most of them died in the wilderness and never saw God plan for them accomplished.

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament tell how foolish it is to complain against God's plan for us because it is too late, too soon, too hard... or whatever we don't like about His timing:

Heb 3:5-4:1
6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: (Quoting Ps. 95)
"Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your heartsas you did in the rebellion,during the time of testing in the desert, 9 where your fathers tested and tried meand for forty years saw what I did. 10 That is why I was angry with that generation,and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray,and they have not known my ways.' 11 So I declared on oath in my anger,'They shall never enter my rest.'"
12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. 15 As has just been said:
"Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your heartsas you did in the rebellion."
16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
NIV

Yes, I still complain, get anxious and want to be in charge while still saying "I turn my life over to you, Lord". It's our human nature/"flesh" still clinging to us even though we have been born again and try to wait upon the Lord. Wonderfully, we have a savior who pleads our case before the throne of His Father... and God forgives, knowing that we are dust:

Ps 103:11-14
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
So far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
He remembers that we are dust .
NIV

As even the world says, "Practice makes perfect". The practice is : to WAIT UPON THE LORD until He reveals the plan either all at once or one baby step at a time. Meanwhile, do what God has given you to do each day.

As Solomon repeats a number of time, and I have found is a good goal while we wait for the parts of God's plan for our lives to be revealed, ENJOY what God has given you now as far as work, friends, "riches", and sinless pleasures are concerned:

Eccl 3:22
22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?
NIV

Eccl 5:18-20
18 Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him — for this is his lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work — this is a gift of God. 20 He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.
NIV

Quote:

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Originally Posted by revdrgade

As even the world says, "Practice makes perfect". The practice is : to WAIT UPON THE LORD until He reveals the plan either all at once or one baby step at a time. Meanwhile, do what God has given you to do each day.

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Yeah, I agree with you.. I am waiting... I am just waiting for him to reveal his plan...
But what's intrigues me is, how does he reveal it?. I am sure it isn't going to be dramatic.. but subtle... and I'm too stupid to know what's God's trying to tell me... Just like all my previous incidents, I am scared that I might mistake something wrong for God's direction, and do it, and end up getting frustrated. I wish God would tell it to my face, for I am someone too dumb to understand God's silent voice, and hints.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carla123

I am a born Christian, but I have my own share of doubts. But i still want to believe that there is an Almighty God, and that I can put my life in His hand as He is my only hope in life. And I am making efforts to believe in Him 100%.

But I am thoroughly confused.:confused: If God has some plan for me, how do I know it? Something happens in my life, something that I can't be in charge of, and I think that it is God's plan for me, but NO!! It is not! There is something else.. And just when I think that it is another God's plan, phut it goes away. Why does so many "unnecessary" wrong things happen in my life, whereas i have just left everything in His hands? Why is God showing me all the stuffs that weren't meant to happen, and then make it go away? When on earth is He going to show me the right path. Looks like i am taking a series of wrong turns for no fault of mine:( .... and my faith is just being floundered. Am i to just sit back and take all this screwing?:mad: How to do I get to know God's plan for me. My prayers seems like its being thrown into air!

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Sounds like he is testing your faith. God's plan doesn't mean it's going to be easy or without trial. Stay strong, stay true. It's a true sign of faith when those who have been through trials stand strong. Those who were never in the faith will fall away.

I have learned that god is always trying to lead us to a better place, like the israelites. And as with abraham, he didn't even really know where god was sending him or what he was going to do there. Abraham was faithful, in that he did patiently what he was told. The israelites grumbled and stubbornly (even sinning in the face of god) followed moses.
When the pharisees asked jesus for a sign, jesus spoke against the faithless generation, that echoed the old testament generation of israelites that eventually rejected god. So the way to be faithful to god, is to accept that he wants your best, and will move mountains to get you there. Whatever obstacles are in the way, look to god to work you through them. The israelites had no way to cross the sea. But they got across. Jonas tried to run from god's leading, and he ended up (through a big fish's belly) in nineveh, right where god wanted him. God is in control of your life, and he knows his own plan. If you want to 'put it in his hands', just believe he wants your best. And listen for his voice also. He'll usually show you your sin, or give you understanding of a passage of the bible. Take your time in life looking to god.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carla123

Yeah, i agree with you.. i am waiting... i am just waiting for him to reveal his plan...
But whats intrigues me is, how does he reveal it??.... i am sure it aint gonna be dramatic.. but subtle..... and i'm too stupid to know whats God's trying to tell me.... Just like all my previous incidents, i am scared that i might mistake something wrong for God's direction, and do it, and end up getting frustrated. I wish God would tell it to my face, for i am someone too dumb to understand God's silent voice, and hints.

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I am happy to find company who has the same walk with God that I do. Really, I have the same problem as you do even after my many, many years of being one of His called/elected/chosen children. I'm a "born-again", Spirit-filled", constant(daily) student of the Bible, with 8 years of undergraduate and graduate study in Theology, a retired pastor/teacher, who talks to God most of the time and even hears from God very often.

And when I ask Him questions, as you have done here, He often just says, "Never mind. I'm taking care of that. You just do what I've given you to do today". He recalls to my mind various words that He had put in the Bible, like:

Phil 4:5-7
The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
NIV

Isa 55:8-11
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways ," declares the Lord. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snowcome down from heaven,and do not return to it without watering the earthand making it bud and flourish,so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:It will not return to me empty,but will accomplish what I desireand achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
NIV

John 21:17
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep .
NIV

Prov 4:10-12
0 Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.
11 I guide you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
NIV

Isa 58:11
11 The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
NIV

John 16:12-15
12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.
NIV

AND hundreds more...



This the reason that I wrote last time about "enjoying life" as God has given it to you AT THIS TIME.


So, don't be anxious about your present mis-steps or past sins. Because of His love for, you He took on flesh and paid the debt of your sin. He isn't going to turn His back on you after all that since He has always known that you are "imperfect":

Phil 3:10-14
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
NIV

Rom 8:31-36
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things ? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
NKJV



I'll keep my eyes on your question just in case we find someone who can answer with all the answers. But I have not met one yet.

Our life with God is an adventure. He opens doors for us so we know where He wants us, but He also closes those same doors when He wants us to move on to a new service for Him. If we don't see the open door, or see the door closed later or even if we mistakenly choose the wrong door when seeking to serve Him... He will let us know and "...

.. all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Rom 8:28-30
NIV

Be at peace with God.

I am going to suggest 2 simple things that may help.
1. God will ALWAYS lead in accord with His written word.
2. Make NO important decisions while you are feeling confused.
1 Cor 14:33
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
(KJV)

Hope this helps.

I read your question and thought it was mine! I worry a lot that I haven't found the "Right" path and that I will wind up worse off and more discouraged because I was too dumb to figure it out.
I want there to be a Plan. Sort of gets me off the hook. Not that I'm not trying, but then maybe some of my mistakes were "meant to be" , and not all my fault. Do you believe that?
Hang in there. I am sure trying.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carla123

I am a born Christian, but I have my own share of doubts. But i still want to believe that there is an Almighty God, and that I can put my life in His hand as He is my only hope in life. And I am making efforts to believe in Him 100%.

But I am thoroughly confused.:confused: If God has some plan for me, how do I know it? Something happens in my life, something that I can’t be in charge of, and I think that it is God's plan for me, but NO!! It is not! There is something else.. And just when I think that it is another God's plan, phut it goes away. Why does so many "unnecessary" wrong things happen in my life, whereas i have just left everything in His hands? Why is God showing me all the stuffs that weren’t meant to happen, and then make it go away? When on earth is He going to show me the right path. Looks like i am taking a series of wrong turns for no fault of mine:( .... and my faith is just being floundered. Am i to just sit back and take all this screwing?:mad: How to do I get to know God's plan for me. My prayers seems like its being thrown into air!

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You are simply being tested. It is easy to be faithful when everything is going well. It is in trials, when God seems far away, that your faith is purified as gold tried by fire:

Heb 12
5And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Sincerely,

De Maria

OK, so trials can be good, but how do we get through them. I feel depressed and lonely some times( like now) . Sad. I am reading the Bible, but really feel low. Any suggestions?

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Originally Posted by elizhuie

ok, so trials can be good, but how do we get through them. I feel depressed and lonely some times( like now) . Sad. I am reading the Bible, but really feel low. Any suggestions??

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I feel the same way a lot... I know it isn't because I'm not following god... it's just the human condition. One way to begin feeling something, is to start being thankful to god.
Psa 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name.
Let him know your sins(confession), and decide to repent.
Getting through trials is having love for god, enough to trust him, that he has your best interests in mind, that the trial is to purify you from that which is at odds or an enemy of god (enmity).
If your spiritual mind is godly, then your carnal mind can become the vanity it is, through god's consuming fire (spirit).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by elizhuie

ok, so trials can be good, but how do we get through them. I feel depressed and lonely some times( like now) . Sad. I am reading the Bible, but really feel low. Any suggestions??

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When I feel that way, I focus on God. I think about the things He has done for me. Or I focus on His becoming a child in Mary's womb and being fed at her breast.

Praying the Rosary helps me to focus on these mysteries of God's love.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Hi friend, I believe god let us go through problems and difficulties once you submit yourself to him,he let us go through pain and confusion because at the end of the day he wants to see us stainless and fully depended on him through true faith in him.. our god is alpha and omega.. his principles are pure.. so he will let us go through trials and confusions.. that we will be able to say with our hearts n not just with our lips that we love him and trust him... he sees our hearts and spirits.. he wants it to be cleansed.. he wants us to stop relying on ourselves and rely on him completely and wait,. love and faith has to stand the test of time.. and confusions if not its not true and not worthy to be a part of eternal truths,. +he transforms our hearts when we depend on him for everything and he lives in us +pray for strength to stay closer to him and love him with everything you have

Hi friend, I believe god let us go through problems and difficulties once you submit yourself to him,he let us go through pain and confusion because at the end of the day he wants to see us stainless and fully depended on him through true faith in him.. our god is alpha and omega.. his principles are pure.. so he will let us go through trials and confusions.. that we will be able to say with our hearts n not just with our lips that we love him and trust him... he sees our hearts and spirits.. he wants it to be cleansed.. he wants us to stop relying on ourselves and rely on him completely and wait,. love and faith has to stand the test of time.. and confusions if not its not true and not worthy to be a part of eternal truths,. +he transforms our hearts when we depend on him for everything and he lives in us +pray for strength to stay closer to him and love him with everything you have

On my Christian journey I have come to the simple conclusion that God's plan is more basic than the mind-boggling complexities that we impose. We are created to worship HIM in all that we do and REJOICE. That's it. What does that mean? When you wake up - awake inhaling life. Take it all in as if it were just given back to you. When you rise up - feel the movement in your body as if your paralysis was just healed. Then give thanks. If you can't walk, find something that you can do and give thanks for that. If you can, then acknowledge that you 'can' and give each step purpose. I'm talking simple purpose. Going toward the kitchen? Take those dirty dishes with you and drop those socks in the hamper along the way. When you speak - chose your words with good intent. Wait for it. Silence can be golden. Speaking of silence... turn off the t.v. for a minute and listen through fasting and praying. That's right, we do not have to be snacking or thinking about snacking 24-7. Spend just a little time starving the flesh and feeding the spirit and watch it grow stronger. What do you love to do? I love to write. Whatever you enjoy doing, do it with passion. Write, sing, educate, run, build, dig, speak, act, draw, paint, lay carpet, nurse, greet shoppers, direct traffic, travel, defend in court... what do you love to do? Whatever it is, do it with passion unto the King of glory! AGAIN I say, REJOICE. Are you enjoying the CREATOR, the EVERLASTING FATHER, the PRINCE OF PEACE? It's okay, you don't have to KNOW the plan. Simply TRUST the MAN with the plan and be free. God is always working all around us. When He invites us to join Him in HIS plan it is an obvious invitation. Try not to question everything and be willing to trust and obey. Get to know His voice better by spending more time with Him studying His Word in the Holy Bible.
I pray that this helps someone. Luv you! Later!

Voice of God brings plans of God to us. Our job is to learn to hear the Voice of God. Plans of God always packed with provision of God. So the 'KEY' is 'hearing VOICE OF GOD'. If we spend time with God we can hear HIM.

Well, carla123, I read what you had to say and I hope this answer will help you see that God's plan is so magnificent that if he tried to get you to understand it you would only be more confused.

I've really been struggling recently with God's plan for my life, and what I have found out are these simple principles that we as Christians tend to overlook and misconstrue.

The first thing is that GOD IS NOT IN CHARGE... at least not in the way we often take him to be. John Bevere recently did a study on this concept in which he says that God has given charge of what happens on the earth to man[kind] (Psalm 115:16). What I'm trying to say is that God has a direction for your life, but he will not just force you into that direction. Before Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead he first commanded the people to move away the stone. The people first had to make a choice: they could move the stone and see God's blessing fulfilled, or they could refuse to have faith in Christ and leave the stone where it was placed and thus would not have seen God's blessing (John 11). God has given you free will to chose which path you wish to take.

The second thing I would like to say (in relation to the first) is that while God has given you the free will to chose when to move on his path, he has also provided wisdom to allow you to make a decision that would be along His path. God does not want you to go and make foolish decisions. God's wisdom (not worldly wisdom - there is a difference) provides you with all the proper steps a person needs to make a healthy decision.

With that said, God's plan is really your own plan for your life based in the wisdom of God. The direction in which you take though should very heavily weighed on your own personal gifts that God has blessed you with. Its kind of like traveling directions, there are many different paths for you to take to get to the MacDonald's near your house; but the best route is not to take a boat across the Atlantic, travel by plane across all of Asia and Europe, another boat across the Pacific and then a plane back to your home town. Did you accomplish your goal? Yes. Was that the best way to do it? No. Analyze the routes and make the best decision (on a personal note - the best route isn't always the shortest one, there could be construction going on or an accident).

One last thing I'd like to add is that God's plan often creates more complications. Just as scientific discoveries lead to more questions, revelations of God's plan create more questions that need to be answered. Sometimes it is better to just live life and let things unfold in their proper times. All I'm asking you to do is trust in God the father who died on the cross for your sins. God bless.

I guess your faith is not that strong. How do you know that you are trying your 100% effort believing in Him while you are doubting right now. You don't have to read the bible everyday and memorize it, you need to do good deeds with consistency. You don't have to go to church everyday to pray for Him and ask something, the best place to contact God is within yourself with pure intentions, sincerity and love. You are the church and you can always talk to Him anytime through good and bad times. Most people curse God when they are in trouble or in a bad situation, but they tend to forgot to thank Him when good things happen. I think that's why God gave us the right to choose whether to stay with Him or the other way around and it's called freewill. God has a plan for everybody but then here comes freewill, He never wanted to control our lives. He just wanted us to feel and experience how beautiful life is but how fragile and complicated it is. God only sympathizes us, but it is we who should work for what we want not him.

I guess your faith is not that strong. How do you know that you are trying your 100% effort believing in Him while you are doubting right now. You don't have to read the bible everyday and memorize it, you need to do good deeds with consistency. You don't have to go to church everyday to pray for Him and ask something, the best place to contact God is within yourself with pure intentions, sincerity and love. You are the church and you can always talk to Him anytime through good and bad times. Most people curse God when they are in trouble or in a bad situation, but they tend to forgot to thank Him when good things happen. I think that's why God gave us the right to choose whether to stay with Him or the other way around and it's called freewill. God has a plan for everybody but then here comes freewill, He never wanted to control our lives. He just wanted us to feel and experience how beautiful life is but how fragile and complicated it is. God only sympathizes us, but it is we who should work for what we want not him.

Someone said that GOD give man a great gift and it's called "free will". You should not ask, What is GOD's plan for me. What you should ask for is wisdom. You are free to do what you like to do, it's up to you to choose which path you should take.. GOD only provides you things that are necessary to help you in what path you choose...