“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)
I knew my parents would be disappointed. Since my early childhood, they both wanted me to go to the same college they’d attended. But after we toured campuses, the Lord gave me a desire to go to a different school.
This wasn’t just any other school: It was one of my parents’ rival schools.
My mind and heart were conflicted, but God ordered my steps, and my parents eventually gave me their blessing. I still remember my dad calling me on the first day of classes to remind me it was not too late to transfer. The thought crossed my mind, but I knew it was God who had interrupted my plans.
After four amazing years of making great friends and even meeting my husband, I look back on that time in college and see why God redirected my steps. Years after my graduation, my father called me to say he was glad I chose a different path than he expected.
I learned that whenever God interrupts our plans, it’s always for a greater purpose. Proverbs 19:21 explains it this way: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.”
That verse says we don’t just have some plans — we have many plans. And I do. I have lists, notes, and memos full of ideas to try, books to read, and goals to accomplish. At times, it can be frustrating to know I actually don’t have enough time or energy to pursue every plan that comes to my heart.
There is no guarantee we’ll see our plans come to pass perfectly. So when our ideas remain lists in a planner or scribbles in a journal, we can feel the sting of failure.
But what if we choose to look at our interrupted plans not as failures but as opportunities? What if God is using what we call “failed plans” for His greater purpose?
Think of some of Jesus’ disciples. Matthew planned to be a tax collector. Andrew, Peter, James, and John planned to be fishermen. But an encounter with Jesus interrupted those plans for a purpose that would spread the gospel to all nations (Matthew 9:9; Matthew 4:18-22).
Unfulfilled plans are often pathways to God’s greater purpose. When our focus is on God’s purpose over our plans, we are freed from the pressure they create. We release the urge to do everything at once and the frustration when we realize we can’t.
Plans are what we intend to do, but the effects of our purpose in Christ grow far beyond our intentions. No matter what plans come to pass — or not — this year, we can always have peace when we know that even if plans fail, God’s purpose always prevails.
Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the many ideas and plans You’ve placed on my heart for this new year. I pray for the faith to trust You with each plan and believe Your greater purpose will prevail. Thank You for Your peace in all circumstances. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Proverbs 16:9, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps” (NLT).
What plans can you trust God with today, knowing that no matter what happens, His purpose will prevail? Let us know in the comments.
© 2026 by Christina Patterson. All rights reserved.
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