God not only used Paul, but choose him and groomed him.
I took an accounting class in high school, and it just made sense. So in college I majored in accounting and began a career in accounting. When my daughter was in high school, she went through the process of discerning her career path. I suggested accounting. You see, she’s a lot like me in the way she thinks, and I was confident accounting would come as naturally to her as it did for me. But at that time in her life, accounting wasn’t cool or exciting. I’m sure the thought of being like dad didn’t rev her engine. I couldn’t even convince her to take an accounting class in high school and give it a try. She decided on chemistry.
Four years, three college major changes, and a bunch of money later, she graduated… with a degree in accounting. It took a series of other events and circumstances for her to see what I did. She had a career version of a Damascus Road experience. I believed I had a good plan, beyond what my daughter could see.
On Sunday, Michael used Paul’s story to illustrate the point that “God has a good plan beyond what we can see”… a comforting reminder. God not only used Paul, but choose him and groomed him to bring the Gospel message to all Gentiles. Michael encouraged us to focus on the truth and proceed with faith, even when we’re confused and even when we fail.
I’m not omniscient. There’s no guarantee that my plan was and is the best for my daughter, and there’s no guarantee it won’t all change tomorrow. But God is omniscient. Our vision of the future may look like the back of a tapestry, but God sees it from the front. He has a good plan for each of us, beyond what we can see.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28).
