Revelation 13:8 describes Jesus as the Lamb who was slain “from the foundation of the world.” The implications of this verse are astounding. Before the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, indeed before the garden or its first inhabitants even existed, God had already initiated a plan of salvation that would culminate with the cross. This means that when Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, God was not surprised. Their failure had already been factored into His sovereign plan, and provision had already been made for redemption.
If you have missed the will of God, be encouraged by this thought: Before God called you, before you were saved, in fact, before you were even born, God knew how your life would play out. Before you had made even one mistake, God took all your future failures into account, and in His infinite wisdom and love He preempted your blunders with a plan to turn your tragedy into a triumph in the end. With this knowledge you can be confident that if you are still breathing, it is never too late for God to intervene and restore what the locust and cankerworm have eaten.
Having said these things, it’s important to understand that disobedience to God’s will is not a trivial matter. God’s grace does not guarantee that we will never have to live with negative consequences of our actions. Many times, even though God forgives and restores, there are still scars that remain from disobedience, and often the process of correcting our errant route is long and painful.
Jonah was called to go to Nineveh. The easiest, fastest, and most comfortable way would have been by ship. But because he disobeyed God’s command, Jonah chose the hard way. Although he still ultimately made it to Nineveh, by the time he arrived he had been through a storm, thrown off a ship, and swallowed by a big fish. He spent three days inside that fish and was finally vomited onto the beach. Yes, Jonah made it to Nineveh all right, but the first option would definitely have been better. If you have missed the perfect will of God in your life, you need to take the following steps immediately.
Stop!
If you are going in the wrong direction, before you do anything else, you need to stop! As strange as it sounds, if we feel we have blown it, sometimes there is a temptation to just keep going. People who are trying to lose weight on a strict diet have struggled with this. They may have been very disciplined for a few weeks, but then a holiday comes. They ruin their diet for several days in a row, they gain a few pounds back, and rather than stopping the downward spiral, they say, “What’s the use? I’ve already blown it. I might as well just give in.” If you are still on the wrong track as you read this bible study, you need to realise that every day you continue on that path is a day you can never get back. Don’t waste one more day or hour moving in the wrong direction. Stop now!
Acknowledge Your Mistake
Even if your mistake was not caused by deliberate disobedience against the known will of God, you need to acknowledge your mistake and ask for forgiveness. Maybe it is a job you shouldn’t have taken. Maybe it was a bad investment or taking on debt that you ultimately realised you could not afford. It may have been something that happened as a result of carelessness or neglect, or it may have been caused by outright rebellion against God. Whatever the case may be, there is still redemption for everyone in the great grace and love of God. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, nas).
