Tag Archives: future

Learning to Trust a God Who Isn’t Mortal

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We’ve been working through the Immerse Bible at our church this summer. We do this every summer, and this summer’s Immerse Bible is the Poets. It covers the books of Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and Job. I’m just about finished and am currently working my way through the last half of the book of Job.

Summarizing the Story of Job

I have always loved the book of Job; there are so many nuggets of wisdom that you can find if you dig in. This week, in my morning time routine, a phrase jumped out at me that I feel like can summarize the entire book of Job and help us to understand how God works. It’s this phrase: God is not a mortal like me. (Job 9:32)

God is not mortal or human like we are. He existed before we began, and He will continue long after we are gone. He does not need to rest, nor does He need to eat. He doesn’t get weary or tired or discouraged. He doesn’t fear anything. He made everything we see, including us. Because of all this, He’s not going to see the world the way we see it. He’s doesn’t operate on the timetables we set. We see the here and now; He sees eternity.

God is Not Mortal, Like Us

It’s so important for us to try to wrap our minds around this concept, that God is not mortal like we are. It’s such a crucial point to understanding our lives and how God works. If we don’t understand this truth, we are going to walk around in circles, frustrated, asking questions, and trying to make sense of what’s going on in our lives. It’s only when we truly begin to understand the vastness of who God is that we can begin to understand our smallness.

This shouldn’t discourage us; rather, it should bring us so much hope and encouragement because it reminds us that God is working in every detail of our lives. He’s working out a future for us that we can’t see yet. He’s moving people and events into our lives to prepare us for what’s to come. If we will allow Him, He will work in ways we can’t begin to imagine. He’s working for our future even now.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

God is At Work In Your Life

God was at work long before you and I were ever born. Before you were born, He already had a plan for your life and every day accounted for.

You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.

Psalm 139:16

The second part of that verse always blows my mind. “Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” Before we were one day old, God had every moment of our lives already planned out. That’s a crippling thought if we don’t trust God. If we do trust God, that’s the most encouraging thought ever. God knows exactly what is going on today, and He knows exactly what’s going to happen tomorrow. It’s all part of His plan.

God’s Plan for My Life

There is incredible freedom in knowing that God is working today in my life, and it is going exactly according to His plan. His plan, not our plan.

The Lord will work out his plans for my life…

Psalm 138:8

I don’t know what you’re facing today, but this is your reminder that God is actively working in your life today, preparing you for your future. Trust Him. Trust the process. Don’t forget that He has planned every single day, and He will walk with you every step of the way.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, God’s Working on Your Behalf Today, or you can check out my book, Finding Free: 5 Simple Steps to a More Peaceful, Content, and Happy You.

God is Working on Your Behalf Today

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There’s something about knowing that somebody is working on your behalf. Whether that’s somebody that does a job for you, runs an errand for you, helps you with a project…whatever it is. There’s something that fills us with comfort when we realize we’re not alone in whatever it is we’re trying to accomplish.

Jonah’s Big Crisis

I was reading in the book of Jonah the other day as I make my way through the end of the Old Testament. There’s a small verse in chapter one that snags my attention every time I read it.


Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah…

Jonah 1:17

What I love about this verse is that it shows that God is always working on our behalf, even when we don’t realize it. Jonah gets himself into a mess and hits his big crisis moment. At this very moment in time, he was sinking to the bottom of the depths of the ocean. Talk about a crisis!

His Dire Circumstances

He later has these words to say about his experience.

I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head.

Jonah 2:5

These are some pretty dire conditions that Jonah finds himself in. His crisis comes on hard and fast. At this point, we’re not even sure if he’s had a chance to pray yet. He’s been thrown overboard into the choppy waves in the midst of a terrible storm and is currently sinking to the bottom of the ocean. How long do you have when you’re sinking to the bottom of the ocean? Not long, I’d say. We get the idea he’s already out of oxygen, waiting for his demise.

God Knows Our Future

If God had waited even a few moments longer, we wouldn’t have the story of Jonah. If God would have waited for Jonah to reach out to him, I don’t know that the fish would have gotten to him in time. Instead, God began working before Jonah started praying. From the way the verse is worded, we get the idea that God arranged for the fish to get Jonah long before Jonah ever needed the fish.

That’s the amazing thing about having God on our side. He sees the future and knows what we need before we do, before we’ve even had a chance to pray about it. He works on our behalf before we know the words to pray.

There’s incredible encouragement in that thought, in knowing God is working on your behalf today.

God’s Working on Your Future Today

God was already working. He knew what was in Jonah’s future and was already actively bringing about the pieces of his life to work out His plan in Jonah’s life. 

God is doing the same for you and me today. He already knows what’s in our future. Nothing that happens in our lives takes him by surprise. He is already acting on behalf for you for your future, for things that haven’t even happened yet. 

If you can trust him with your future, you can trust him with today. So be encouraged today and know that God is working on your behalf today both with what you can see and what you can’t!

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, When You Can’t See God Working in Your Life.

If you’re looking for a devotional to encourage you and remind you that God’s not done working on you, check out God’s Plan, My Purpose. It’s currently on sale on Amazon for $5.70!