God Rarely Does Things the Way We Expect

Have you ever prayed for an answer and then watched God work in a completely different way than you expected?

In this episode of FaithFuel, Bob Shaw shares his personal story of pursuing a career in secular radio, only to watch God close doors he wanted opened and open unexpected doors that led him into Christian radio instead.

Using Isaiah 55:8-9 and Proverbs 3:5-6, this devotional explores why God's plans often look different from our plans, and why His guidance doesn't always follow the path we imagine.

If you're waiting for direction, struggling with closed doors, questioning God's timing, or wondering why things aren't unfolding the way you hoped, this episode offers encouragement to trust God's wisdom even when His methods don't make immediate sense.

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Transcript

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One of the things I've learned about God is that he rarely does things the way I expect, and looking back, I'm really glad he didn't. I'm Bob Shaw, and this is Faith Fuel. Let's take a look at Isaiah 55 verses eight and nine. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. Well, I've certainly found that to be true. Years ago, I was convinced I knew what my future looked like. I wanted to work in secular radio. My plan was to use my faith there and be a light wherever God placed me. Seemed like a pretty good plan. The only problem was that God apparently had a different one. Doors I wanted open kept closing. Opportunities I thought were perfect never worked out. Meanwhile, God kept opening doors that led me toward Christian radio. At the time I didn't always understand it. Well hindsight is 2020, and I gotta tell you, God is good. I wouldn't change it for anything. I'm so grateful God didn't follow my plan. When you read the Bible, you see this kind of thing all the time. Gideon needed an army, and God reduced it from thirty two thousand to three hundred men. Joshua faced Jericho, and God told the people to just walk around the city. David faced Goliath, and God used a shepherd with a sling instead of a seasoned warrior. Nobody would have drawn those plays up on a whiteboard. But God wasn't interested in showing people how clever they were. He was showing them how great he is. I think one reason we get frustrated is because we've already pictured how the answer should come. Maybe we've settled on a certain opportunity, a certain outcome, or a certain path forward. Then God does something we never saw coming. The answer may take longer than we expected, or it may arrive from a direction we never considered. And we look back years later and realize God was doing something much bigger than we understood at the time. People throughout the Bible asked questions. Gideon asked questions. Habakkuk asked questions. Even disciples asked questions. Faith doesn't require us to understand everything God is doing. Sometimes it means trusting his character when his methods don't make immediate sense. That's where Proverbs 3 verses 5 and 6 comes in. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. I've had to learn that one more than once, and I'm still learning it. So if you're waiting for direction or an answer or wondering why God isn't doing things the way you expected, remember this. Just because his plan looks different from yours doesn't mean he isn't working. Sometimes the answer is already on the way. It just doesn't look anything like what you expected. Lord, thank you that your wisdom is greater than ours. Help us trust you when we don't understand what you're doing or why you're doing it. Give us patience when answers seem delayed, and faith when your plan looks different than the one we had in mind. And remind us that you are always working for your glory and our good, even when we can't see the whole picture. In Jesus' name, Amen. If you're waiting on God for direction or answers, I hope today's devotional encouraged you to keep trusting Him. And remember, some of the doors we're most grateful for are the ones God opened after closing the ones we thought we wanted. If Faith Fuel has encouraged you, would you take a minute to leave a rating or review? It helps more people discover the podcast. I'm Bob Shaw. Peace and joy.