God's Second Plan

“If plan A doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters.”

“If plan A doesn’t work, the alphabet still has 25 more letters.” That is how this saying could be translated, though the original sentence is even longer. The point is, if one plan fails, don’t worry; there are still many other ways. There is plan B, C, D, and so on.

If so, does God have another option when His plan for humanity fails? Or does He remain firm in carrying it out? If people refuse to obey, does God act in such a way that they eventually do His will? Could God change strategy and arrange another plan?

Yes, both are possible. Whatever God wills will surely come to pass. There are times when God stands firm. Yet God can also change His mind and alter His plan.

Let us look at what examples of these two cases are like.

God’s One and Only Plan

When is there an event in which God desires something and makes sure it happens, regardless of whether the person involved obeys or not? One example is when He sent Jonah to warn the city of Nineveh and told its people to repent of their evil.

Read the book of Jonah, and you will understand how firmly God insisted that Jonah had to go to Nineveh. Even though he sailed all the way to Tarshish, which was many times farther away, in the end Jonah still arrived in Nineveh.

Through a series of events—the drama of the violent wind, being thrown into the sea by the ship’s passengers, being tossed by the waves, being cast to the depths of the sea, and finally being swallowed by a great fish and vomited back onto land—God made Jonah understand that he could not run from God’s calling.

Even though Jonah fled from the presence of the Lord and disobeyed, God still wanted him to carry out his mission, namely to go to Nineveh.

God’s Second Plan

God carried out the second plan not because His first plan failed, but because humanity failed to obey Him.

One example of God’s second plan is David. Then who was God’s first plan?

"But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.” – 1 Samuel 13:14

Then Samuel said to him: "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to another who is better than you. – 1 Samuel 15:28

Saul was Israel’s first king chosen by God. However, because of his disobedience, God rejected him and appointed David as the replacement king.

Saul’s first mistake was offering the burnt offering that should have been done by Samuel (1 Samuel 13). At that time, Saul panicked because the Philistine army, which was very large in number, was ready to attack Israel. Because Samuel had not yet come, Saul lost patience and was afraid of being abandoned by the people, so he burned the offering to the Lord himself.

The second mistake was that Saul did not obey God’s command to kill all the Amalekites, from the king and the people to their livestock without exception (1 Samuel 15). Not only did he fail to kill the Amalekite king, he also plundered their best livestock.

Because of this disobedience, God did not establish his kingdom and chose to carry out the second plan: appointing a king better than Saul.

Responding to God’s Second Plan

What can we learn when God has a second plan?

1. Do you believe that God has chosen you?

Yes, God has chosen you, and it is no coincidence that you are reading this article.

Try to examine and remember the days you have lived through. How many times has God shown His faithful love to you? How many times has He saved you and kept you from danger? Given you the opportunity to know Him, repent, and turn to Him? Heard your most desperate prayers and shown that He is there?

Realize that God has chosen you. And, second …

2. How do you respond to God’s calling?

In the two examples above, both Jonah and Saul were disobedient. However, the course of their lives was different. This difference in outcome was not God’s fault. He has full authority over all things and to do whatever He wills.

In Jonah’s story, God held firmly to His choice. Even though Jonah ran away, God directed him in such a way that he still carried out His plan. However, in Saul’s story, God chose the second plan, namely replacing Saul with someone more pleasing to Him. The issue is, we do not know what God will do when we disobey. Whether He will discipline us severely—or instead choose someone else who is better and more obedient than we are. Yet even though we cannot predict God’s actions, we can respond in two ways: obey or disobey. We have the choice to follow or reject His calling.

When you reject His calling—whether to lead, to guide, to give more, to serve, to study the Bible, to come to church, to pray, to have personal devotions, to be used by God even more—or run from His plan, do not be surprised if one day you too are rejected by Him.

God can and has the right to carry out plan B, to use someone else if you do not want to take part in His plan. God does not need you, but you are the one who needs Him. If you are unwilling to be His chosen person, God can look for someone else. He can even raise up an obedient people from stones that do not breathe.

“And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones!” – Matthew 3:9

God can make the one and only plan for us. No matter how far we run, He is able to bring us back. However, God can also carry out a second plan, namely choosing someone else if we are unwilling to obey or follow His calling.

So, how do you respond to God’s calling and plan?

* Church GKDI is currently present in 35 cities. We have Bible Study activities in every area; if you need information or would like to get involved in them, contact us at contact Church GKDI Official: WhatsApp 0821 2285 8686 or Facebook / Instagram GKDI Official

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