Day 32: God's Revealed Plan

Does God really have a master plan? Wait. Before answering that, what is a plan? What are the required components or characteristics to qualify as a plan? Are these plans like arranging existing parts in a design, or a novel method to achieve a desired end? Are we talking strategic, tactical, or operational plans? Is there a contingency plan? In what ways might God's plans be different from human plans? The word “plan” suggests more than one might expect at first.

Let's talk only about temporal plans, not the spatial type of design arrangements. The consensus is that there must be some objective, intent, or goal…there is a purpose which the plan addresses. There is also some scheduling of intended actions. Finally, there is an assignment of resources to various tasks in the plan. One difference between the nature of God's plans and human plans is that our plans also include steps like milestones, review, revision, and contingency. God's plans are unchanging just as He is (Mal 3:6, Heb 13:8, James 1:17, Num 23:19, Psalms 33:11). So, those steps in human planning don't apply to God.

Scheduling seems to be a part of God's plan that gets a lot of attention lately (e.g., are we in the end times?). In this section we're more interested in purpose and assignment of resources. What is God's purpose and what is my assignment (assuming I'm a resource of some kind)?

Knowing the purpose behind one's actions gives us clarifying insight. It helps us read between the lines to resolve ambiguity. The Greek word that is usually translated as purpose is πρόθεσις, prothesis. Its root conveys transparency of intent, clear demonstration, placing something out front in plain sight. Ephesians chapter 3 tells us that God has had a plan from eternity past. Though Christ's role was kept a mystery before He came, it is now revealed. Namely that, in Christ, all peoples are invited into relationship with God. That is good news indeed. But, I think the great news comes later as Paul writes to clarify the purpose of various resources in the plan:

Eph 3:9: …to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan—the mystery that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things. 10 The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NET)

“Purpose” is used twice and bookends our assignment. It is our expected response that aligns us with our unique role. It is the calling to which we have been called. The purpose of Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection was to make a way for all people to be part of God's family (vs 11). The purpose of Paul's enlightenment was to motivate the Church to purposeful response (vs 10a). Our purpose is to respond in such a way as to “reveal the multifaceted wisdom of God to the authorities in the heavenly realms” (vs 10b). The implication is that there is one specific way in which we are called to glorify God. We are the only resource assigned to the task. There is no contingency plan. It is our role on the heavenly stage. It is how God is most glorified in the Church (Eph 3:21).

Read Eph 4:1-6. How would you summarize a response that aligns us with the unique assignment to reveal God's wisdom?

Isa 55:8 “Indeed, my plans are not like your plans, and my deeds are not like your deeds,” says the Lord, 9 “for just as the sky is higher than the earth, so my deeds are superior to your deeds and my plans superior to your plans. (NET)

Faithful with Little