Scripture for Today: Psalm 33:10-11 “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”

The contrast is a stark one noted on this sign, and recently in our lives as well with the current unrest. There is a theory called, “Chaos Theory,” that attempts to explain the unpredictable. Rather than traditional science that deals with the predictable, as in gravity or certain chemical reactions, Chaos Theory teaches us to expect the unexpected. It is a science of surprises that are impossible to predict or control. Categorizing what we cannot control as “chaos,” does not do much to reassure me!

Today’s verse does reassure me. There may be political unrest or chaos in our world but the Lord has plans that are never frustrated or foiled. His sovereignty is absolute. He allows and He blocks the plans of men. He is not random or capricious but always has a design of His own that will supersede our own plans. His unseen plans will never be thwarted by man as they stand firm and forever. In contrast to chaos, and despite chaos, there is an ordered objective to what God is allowing.

This truth gives me tremendous comfort when my world seems to be spinning out of control, whether on a large or personal scale. Nothing takes the God of the universe by surprise. He has no need to modify or change His plans as He knows the end from the beginning. He never says, “uh-oh,” nor does He wring His hands. He has the world in those hands and because He does, I can have rest in the middle of unrest.

Thank you Lord, that Your plans stand firm.