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Verse By Verse Devotional On 2 Corinthians By Pastor Jack #24

April 13, 2016 | by: Jack Lash | 0 comments

Posted in: 2 Corinthians

Changing Plans

1:15-17 "In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing; that is, to pass your way into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be helped on my journey to Judea. Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time?"

Paul changed his plans about visiting Corinth. Probably after his surprise visit there (which turned out to be very painful for both Paul and the Corinthians) and his severe follow-up letter (which we don’t have) he thought it best to put off his planned visit until his stern rebukes had time to sink in. He didn’t want another negative meeting with them (see 2:1ff.). Now he is defending himself for changing his plans. Some in the Corinthian congregation took it as a sign that Paul was operating out of human motives and direction, and not divine.

Paul’s defense makes it clear that it is not necessarily ungodly to change one’s plans. Some today, though, would agree with the Corinthians: changing plans must mean that you didn’t have God’s plans in the first place.

God is much bigger than that. Just as your directions might say, "Go on Route 66 toward Marshall," without intending to lead you all the way to Marshall, so God often will lead us by sending us toward something He never intends for us to get to.

God led Abraham to make plans about Isaac, only to subvert them all by asking Abraham to sacrifice his son. Then He subverted THOSE plans by saying NOT to kill Isaac. God’s unchanging plans include the changing of human plans, even the ones based on His guidance and wisdom.

Paul was doing God’s will by making plans to visit Corinth and he was doing God’s will by changing those plans. It didn’t mean he was out of step with God. It didn’t mean he was not "tuned in" to the divine wavelength.

Even apostles generally made their plans based not on supernatural guidance (and even supernatural guidance doesn’t mean plans won’t change, as the example of Abraham and Isaac shows), but on godly wisdom. Sure, God told the church at Antioch to send Paul on his mission. Sure, the Spirit directed Paul to go to Macedonia through a dream. Sure, the Spirit directed Paul not to preach in Asia (Acts 16:6-10). But it’s clear from Acts and from his epistles that the vast majority of Paul’s planning and direction was from God by means of godly wisdom, not direct revelation.

Some Christians have the idea that if they were really following God closely, if their hearts were really open completely to Him, they would avoid all the messes and all the uncertainty. I think this is very wrong-headed. If we were really close and open to God, we would still struggle over decisions like the apostles did, we would still face dilemmas and encounter messes, though we would know much more joy and peace in the process.

O Lord my God, I want to be open to You and close to You — not to avoid the difficulties of this world, but to know the One at whose right hand are eternal pleasures and fullness of joy. Your lovingkindness doesn’t take away all of life’s troubles in this age, but it does make them seem light and momentary in comparison to what You are preparing for us. Help me engage fully in the dilemmas and quandaries of this life, help me face the chaos, confront the messes and make the hard choices, in confidence that the One who has called me is faithful and He will do it.

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