Ephesians 1:11

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11 NKJV). 

Have you ever gone to a counselor?  If so, you know that the scenario looks something like this – you tell the counselor your version of the situation and he or she gives you advice based upon what you tell him or her.  Not a very reliable system because at best you get another perspective on your perspective, but not another perspective on the situation, since it was relayed from how you saw the circumstances in the first place.  That’s fine if your assessment of the situation was accurate, but what if it wasn’t?  How are you supposed to move forward with confidence when you are not really sure that the counsel has adequately corrected your course?

That’s not how God operates.  God is not taking into consideration your perspective of the situation when He works things together in your life.  He is going only on the counsel of His perfect will.  He does not take into consideration all of the self-protective, self-ingratiating programs that typically run through our reasoning when we hit a bump in the road and cause us to see things from a very self-centered view.   He also does not get stuck in the moment and settle for solutions that may not serve us into the future.  In other words, God does not burn bridges in order to solve problems.  

When you look at it from that point of view, isn’t it better to rest in the wisdom of God’s Will than trying to bring Him onto the same page as your understanding? Wouldn’t you rather have Him course correct your path in accordance with the counsel of His perfect will than to really get your own way, but lose sight of the path?

This is a nugget I need to remember so that when things start going askew – away from how I thought it should go – I can be assured that because I am predestined according to God’s purpose, the change of course is for my own good and designed to give me a future and a hope.

Check out Gennarino's devotional on this same verse at:  http://pastor-gennarino.blogspot.com/2014/04/ephesians-111.html