“If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.” —Psalm 139:9-10

There are people who think life is like a poker game and they have to make the best of the hand they have been dealt. It is random; luck of the draw, and success or failure is dependent upon their own initiatives. There are also those who are dependent on God and know He has a plan for their lives. This is not random, nor luck of the draw, but is derived from their faith in Him. 

Jeremiah expressed a universal sense when he wrote, “LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). In other words, we cannot make sense of this life on our own. Our human capabilities and intellect are not sufficient to sustain meaning and purpose to life. 

We only discover God’s will for our lives when we understand the general will of God for the world. The question often asked is “What is God’s plan for my life?” but the real questions we need to ask are “What is God’s plan for the world? What is the big picture and how can I play a part?” God did not create us so we would find something to do, but because He has something for us to do. Though it may not seem significant or even wonderful to us, His plan for us plays an intricate role that furthers His plan for this world. It is in this capacity we find true meaning, substance and purpose to life.

Psalm 138:8 says, “The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands”. This verse is stating that God’s purpose for us is a consequence of His love for us. One of the most important things to realize is that we are loved by God, not because it is a bullet point in our Christian doctrine, but because in relationship with Him we personally experience His love. 

The act of a person bringing their life under submission to Christ is not simply at the heart of the Gospel—it is the Gospel. Surrendering all we are to Christ is that disposition that says, “Lord, I want You to have your way in my life.” As we grow in our understanding of Christ’s lordship, we grow in our surrender to Him. We are who God loves; therefore, we trust Him, and under His lordship, we obey Him. He then promises to guide us and to hold us fast. He will place us in the very center of His perfect will for us, the most gratifying place on earth where we are released to be what God created us to be.