The counsel of the LORD stands forever

Psalm 33:10-11

10The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.

Last week I planned on playing golf once or twice and reading a new book I got in the mail and enjoying my weekend playing with my son and just generally coasting along. It was a great plan. It was all about me. I was going to be able to indulge myself at my leisure.

It didn’t quite work out that way though. He frustrated my plans. He apparently had a different plan for how my week would go.

Instead of indulging myself all week I was called to serve my wife and son in a very time intensive way. Every minute of my day was geared to serving them. As I mentioned last week, my wife had to have surgery to repair her shattered kneecap. She was unable to do much of anything for herself. I did everything for her: get up, walk, sit down. I served breakfast lunch and dinner. Praise the LORD, our church family was so gracious in bringing meals to us, so I was blessed not to have to cook, which is not pretty… Then, of course I had to watch Asher, a full time job in itself.

I share all this not to complain. In fact it is the exact opposite. Nor do I share all this to make me sound like a great husband and father. In fact it is the exact opposite.

No, I share all this because I experienced first hand what Psalm 33:10-11 is about. I had plan last week that was all about indulging my selfish sin nature, which by default means that I was planning against God. God would have none of that!!!

He frustrated my plans. His sovereignty over my life broke through my selfish desires and accomplished a great plan for his glory. He took a selfish husband and dad and reminded him that his duty and greatest joy is in serving his family when their need is greatest. Oh sure, I had my moments of sef-pity and frustration, but God in his grace has made this experience with Meredith’s injury a truly blessed time for our family.

So, I do not share this to complain, I am praising God for his wise plan that sovereignly applied to my life. I am not trying to make me look good, I am thanking God for his grace in bringing me back to have the right spirit toward Him and my family.

When we read that He frustrates the plans of the peoples and brings the counsel of the nations to nothing, it is not that He is an overbearing God who is working against us or has evil planned for his children. He is working all things for his glory. And for those who love Him and are committed to his purpose, that plan will always be for our good (Romans 8:28), even if on the front end it takes the form of a painful injury that requires a long convalescence and disrupts the plans of family. He frustrates our plans for very good reasons. If we will seek Him in the midst of those course corrections then we will find the joy He has for us. I rediscovered my joy in serving my family.

There is another very important lesson in these verses. It may be even a little more difficult to accept than this first one. It is one thing to accept that God frustrates our plans for our good and his glory, but it is another thing entirely to accept that he frustrates the plans of non-Christians for his glory… and NOT for their good.

Most times we will eventually come around to accepting God’s sovereignty as long as it still fits into our understanding of a God who is always kind and good toward everyone. It gets much more difficult to accept a God who is kind and good toward some and not toward others.

“The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing” This phrase calls to mind the leaders and nations of Psalm 2, who are actively working against the LORD and his Anointed, and especially Acts 4:25-29 (which quotes Psalm 2) where Luke applies the truth of God’s sovereignty over the nations and leaders of nations to explain the Crucifixion. God turned the hearts of Herod and Pilate in their sin to accomplish his purposes (Proverbs 21:1). He brought their plans to nothing; plans to silence Christ and his followers by killing Him. His counsel, his plan to save his people through the death of his Son, is what stands forever. He even used these godless leaders to accomplish this.

Wow. He is a sovereign God, sovereign over all things and people. We would be very wise to acknowledge Him as LORD and submit willingly to his LORDship over our lives. For when we repent of our sins and turn to Him, He is faithful to forgive us and restore us to a right relationship with Him. In his sovereignty, He commits to follow through with his promises. And He promised those who believe in Him that they would receive eternal life (John 3:16). He also promised those who reject Him they will be condemned forever (John 3:18).

His plans will stand forever. I pray you will seek Him while He may be found. For, there is joy to be found in his perfect plans for his people… even when your wife breaks her kneecap.