Frustrated Plans

Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia. Ezra 4:4-5 NIV

There are those words I don’t like all lined up in a row: discourage, make them afraid, work against them, and frustrate their plans. This is an old story, a common approach. We set out to do something God has commanded us to do – build something to honor the Lord – and there they are – the enemies showing up pretending they are there to help, but instead, the results are anything but.

I am in the book of Ezra. Of course, with my usual diversions, this is not this year's reading through the bible – it is last year's! I took a little left turn and jumped forward to the New Testament around August and now I am catching up where I left off in 2023. And here they are waiting for me, the descendants of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. True to God’s prophecy to Jeremiah 70 years have come and gone in captivity to the Babylonians, yet arms filled with silver and gold and the returned looted treasures from the burned Temple – and very importantly, the blessings and authority of the new king of Babylon, the remnant has returned to their beloved Jerusalem to rebuild the altar to their One True God and they have laid the foundations for a new Temple. Whew! That was a long sentence! And a long journey.

Yet… they are not alone in their endeavors. Enemies they didn't even know they had showed up to lend a helping hand.

Then the other people around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans…

Drat! And they had gotten off to such a good start!

Have you been there? Arms and heart full, the best intentions, solid plans, permission granted, full steam ahead! Suddenly stopped with no moving forward. What? What just happened? Sometimes it is a physical tangible roadblock. Sometimes it is mental. And sometimes it is spiritual. It is hard to figure out when to shove your shoulder against the locked door and when to take a deep breath and wait and watch with patience. Ahhh! Patience. Really? Now?

I just spent a few days with a couple hundred of my closest friends sitting under the teaching of a new friend, Charlotte. She started our time together with this adamant statement: We are at war. There are two kingdoms clashing. We are on one side. Or the other. (My interpretation of her words.) But here are her words so take note:

"In the world, there is chaos and confusion, kingdoms and rulers will rise and fall. But we can rest knowing God is in control; accomplishing His purposes; and bringing prophecy to fulfillment.

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,

“This is the way, walk in it,”

when you turn to the right

or when you turn to the left.”

Isaiah 30:21 ESV

…pay attention to how God is sovereignly orchestrating – providing “signposts” along the way to guide us.

“When you go through a trial the sovereignty of God is the pillow on which you lay your head.” Charles Spurgeon

What may look like pure chaos from the human perspective is the unfolding of a perfect plan by a good and righteous God to restore order. It came through the cross. As His followers, we can't be shocked when our stories include the excruciating."

Oh my! Please, please, let me remind you these were not my insights – but what the Holy Spirit of God was teaching Charlotte, and she was sharing with us.

So here I am days later thinking; Seriously? The conflicts in our life that bring us up short and catch in our throats and tear apart our hearts – are orchestrated by God? Or as the writing of Job reminds us, allowed by a good and all-powerful God?

You may be deep in despair with something unthinkable that has caught you completely unaware: a sudden and unexpected divorce, a debilitating physical illness, a family death overshadowed by trauma, unjust legal accusations, or financial danger that threatens your safety. Every single one of us has some lion prowling right outside the door.

But sometimes it is something hidden, silent yet relentless. An ancient betrayal by a family member. A careless comment by a friend undermines your confidence. A conversation that exposes resentment and judgment. A turning away, an ugly ending, a retracted relationship, a bolted door. Hurts replay in your mind on repeat, entering every quiet moment. Or perhaps it is simply a voice that will not be silenced whispering you are not good enough. You are too flawed. You can never be forgiven. You will never be worthy.

We are told to take every thought captive, but sometimes my mind seems to have a mind of its own! Charlotte said something that woke me up: “Stop looking at the problem!” Stop rewriting it, touching it, revisiting it, nurturing it, feeding it! Stop “if only-ing” it. (All of that may be my version of her words.) God knows about it. He allowed it. Repent of any sin you find as you search your heart, turn it all - every piece of it over to God who is Sovereign (who reigns) over all things. Ask for His guidance out of the valley. And start looking for the signposts He is planting around you to move you beyond.

God always is here – even when we run smack up against a wall. If I am so busy looking at the wall, I may miss the unplanned meeting, the chance conversation, the random invitation God is holding out to lead me to the narrow path down the hill and through the woods.

Keep walking if your eyes are on Him. Remember how he led those once captive Israelites through the wilderness with a cloud by day and a fire by night. Or sometimes they stopped for a while.

Keep your eyes on God and not on the problem. Don’t look down into the abyss. Don’t listen to the taunts of the enemy. Ask your Father to lead you. Take hold of the Holy Spirit’s hand every morning when you rise. Feed on His Word. He is walking before you. He will not leave you. Jesus promised he would not forsake you. Hold on.

If you are interested in the rest of the story, here it is in shorthand. The enemies surrounding the returning remnant were able to procure a ‘stop work order’ from a new (yet temporary) king. (Ezra 4:23,24) The people turned their attention to building their own homes and planting their own fields until God sent two prophets in tandem (Haggai and Zechariah) to wake them up. (Ezra 5:1,2) Another accusation and request to enforce the stop order was sent to the king by their enemies. But God… had replaced the king with a new king – King Darius. He not only ruled in favor of the Israelites, but he also blessed their efforts financially and charged the enemies to provide for and protect their efforts. It is a delicious reversal that only God could, oh! there is that word again – orchestrate! Read Ezra 6:1-12. It is worth it!

And how wonderful is it to read a pagan king instruct to “offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven”? See, you never can imagine what God is accomplishing through difficult discouraging circumstances and frustrated plans! You can trust Him. When you can’t stand, He is a safe place to fall.

Question: What has stopped you in your tracks? How can you surrender to God? How can you keep your eyes on Him instead of on the problem?

Fall On Me - NEEDTOBREATHE (feat. Carly Pearce) - Lyric Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16M5HRG_jHs

Check out Charlotte’s Website https://www.abideinhiminc.org/

Small StoriesGeorgia TannerFebruary 24, 20241 Comment