“… I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’” Exodus 33:19a (ESV)
“This wasn’t part of the plan.”
I whispered those words in a hotel room in the middle of China. As my husband and I held our newly adopted daughter, we realized that her physical needs were much more severe than we had originally thought.
I didn’t understand what God was doing. I didn’t feel prepared to be a mother to a child with special needs. Suddenly, my story had shifted. There were numerous questions but no answers.
Will she go to school?
Who will take care of her after I am gone?
Can I really do this?
As a planner, I love answers because I want to prepare. But through our daughter’s adoption, God taught me that certainty cannot be found in my plans or in predicting the future. Even now, He is still teaching me — because when my story shifts, I’m often quick to question God’s goodness.
Our daughter has thrived these past several years, but some aspects of her future are still unknown. Will she ever live on her own? What kind of care will she need three years from now, or 10, or 20? Despite uncertainty, God’s goodness has never left her or our family, and I know it never will.
Your life has probably shifted over the years too. Maybe you just want to know what to expect. But while I can’t tell you what your future looks like, I can tell you who holds your future.
The story of Moses shows us how God’s goodness isn’t necessarily tied to our plans but to His glory. Before heading toward the promised land with the Israelites, Moses said to God, “Please show me your glory” (Exodus 33:18, ESV). God responded, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD’” (Exodus 33:19a).
God’s glory is tied to His goodness, and God’s goodness is tied to His name, which reveals His character. Moses had met this Lord at the burning bush (Exodus 3:15), and even through plagues and wilderness wandering, God continued to be good to Moses and His people, Israel. And He will continue to be good to you and me.
God might lead us down a path we didn’t plan for, but He never leaves us. Moses didn’t need a detailed plan before heading to the promised land; he needed to be reminded of God’s goodness. And God’s goodness passed before Moses! All Moses had to do was rest in it, and so do we.
Life doesn’t come with a map, but it does come with a promise: If we follow God, His goodness will follow us all of the days of our lives (Psalm 23:6).
Dear Lord, I don’t know what lies ahead, but You do. Help me to rest in Your goodness that is rooted in Your character as I confidently step into whatever You have planned for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (ESV).
Psalm 31:19, “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!” (ESV).
How has God shown you His goodness today? Share in the comments below.
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