When God Interrupts Your Plans

April 17, 2024

God’s plan for your life is good, but that doesn’t mean it’ll always be convenient. In fact, God’s plans for our life often include what we would deem as inconveniences or interruptions. 

If you want to serve others the way Jesus serves you, then you have to decide to hold your schedule with an open hand. You must be willing to be interrupted.

Jesus was interrupted by a woman in need while he was literally on the way to heal someone else. What did Jesus do? He stopped. Even though he was ALREADY on his way to do a different good work, he still chose to stop to help this woman in need. 

The story can be found in Matthew, Mark and in Luke. 

The story from Luke 8:

⁴³ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,^[a] but no one could heal her. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

⁴⁵ “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

⁴⁷ Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. ⁴⁸ Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Are you willing to be interrupted? 

This doesn’t mean we can’t have boundaries and we have to say yes to EVERYTHING… it’s all about the heart. Are you willing? If God sends an interruption your way, are you willing to stop? Are you willing to stop and ask the Lord, “is this someone I need to help, even though it’s inconvenient?” 

There’s so many instances in the Bible where God used interruptions in a BIG WAY. 

Mary didn’t plan to become pregnant with Jesus when she wasn’t even married yet (a pretty inconvenient and uncomfortable situation to be in). But, she was willing.

Nehemiah was comfortable as the king’s cupbearer, but the walls of Jerusalem needed to be rebuilt.

Peter was comfortable as a fisherman, but Jesus saw another purpose for his life.

Paul was comfortable as a Pharisee, but God interrupted his life to become a great church-planter and to write much of the New Testament.

Proverbs 16:9 (NLT) “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”

Proverbs 19:21 (NLT) “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.”

Planning is a good thing, but we should always stay flexible and allow God to tweak or even to radically change what we had in mind.