When God Changes Your Plans: Trusting His Perspective Over Your Own

What if God changed your mind so He could change your perspective?

It’s always easier to recognize God’s faithfulness in hindsight. Clarity often comes when you can look back on refining seasons with wisdom. In those moments, you see that the unfair, even hurtful circumstances were never wasted. Instead, you can echo Joseph’s words:
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good” (Genesis 50:20).

But here’s encouragement if you’re still in the thick of it—still waiting for prayers to be answered and plans to unfold the way you had hoped.

Joseph: From Prisoner to Palace

Don’t forget that God gave Joseph a dream of influence and leadership, yet allowed him to become both a servant and a prisoner before elevating him.

As unexpected as the path must have felt, God was just as faithful on the floor of Joseph’s jail cell as He was when placing him in the palace. Those very “setbacks” weren’t oversights—they were part of the process to position Joseph for the role God had written for him in the bigger story.

Saul to Paul: A Radical Transformation

Then there was Saul. God physically blinded him so he could experience a spiritual encounter that transformed him from one of Christianity’s greatest persecutors into Paul—the man called to help establish the early church.

Paul’s testimony reminds us of this truth: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15). That’s why his words carry such power: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

God’s Plans Are Always Greater

Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that while we make our plans, the Lord determines our steps. Sometimes God leads us down a path we wouldn’t have chosen so that He can reveal His vision for our lives—something far greater than we could ever dream up for ourselves.

The next time you feel tempted to ask, “Why, God?” try asking instead, “Lord, what do you want to teach me in this season?” Let your prayer shift from, “Lord, take this away,” to “Lord, may You receive the glory and bring good from this.”

Holding On to Hope in the Detours

Your situation might feel like a detour, but God is not finished writing your story. What feels like a setback may actually be a setup for something greater.

Even when the path is difficult, we can place our hope in this promise: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).