How to Trust God’s Leading | Series: How to Trust God in Seasons of Waiting (Day 4)

One of the biggest tensions in a waiting season is this: You want to move forward, but you’re not always sure how.

So you plan. You think. You map things out. And that’s not wrong. But here’s where we need clarity. And for this, we go to the Bible.

Proverbs 16:9 (KJV) says: “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”

This Scripture shows us something powerful: There is a difference between making plans and being led by God.

So: Planning is what we do. Many professionals these days get paid very well to plan, strategize, tell people what to do, why, and how. But nobody does it like our God. He directs in a way that is full proof, guaranteed, right, and correct all the time. Direction is what God does.

What we need to understand is that planning comes from our understanding. We plan based on what we see. What we know. What makes sense to us. But our perspective is limited.

Proverbs 3:5 (KJV): “Lean not unto thine own understanding.”

That means our plans can look right and still not be aligned with God’s plan.

When we say direction is what God does, we must understand and accept that God is wise. And the direction we seek and need comes from that place - God’s wisdom. And we are talking about the only wise God who sees what we cannot see. The One who knows the best timing, what will be the best outcomes, the God who knows what’s ahead.

Psalm 37:23 (KJV): “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD…”

Notice it says steps, not the whole journey. Why? Because God often leads one step at a time.

You may plan to go one way, but God redirects you. A door you expected to open closes.

An opportunity you wanted delays. A path you chose shifts. And in those moments, it can feel confusing.

But here’s the truth: Closed doors don’t always mean rejection. Sometimes they are re-direction.

Let’s look at Paul, who planned to go into certain regions to preach. But God redirected him.

Acts 16:6–7 (KJV): “…they were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia… suffered them not.”

Paul had a plan. But God had a direction. And the difference changed everything.

We can also look at Joseph. He did not plan the pit, slavery, or prison. But God used every step to position him. What looked like disruption was actually divine direction.

Let’s say this simply: We plan the route. God determines the steps.

So how do we trust God’s leading?

1. We plan, but we stay flexible. We can prepare, but we don’t become rigid, because God may adjust our path. Proverbs 19:21 (KJV): “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.”

2. We move, but we stay sensitive. We don’t just act, we stay aware of God. Isaiah 30:21 (KJV): “Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it…”

3. We accept God’s adjustments. When things don’t go as planned, we don’t panic; we pause and ask: “God, are You redirecting me?” Jeremiah 10:23 (KJV): “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.”

4. We trust step-by-step guidance. God may not show us everything at once. But He will guide us as we go. Isaiah 48:17 (KJV): “…I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.”

Family, God’s direction matters more than any plan we can come up with. Because we can have a good plan and still end up in the wrong place without Him.

But if God is leading us, even when the path doesn’t make sense, we will still end up exactly where we’re supposed to be.

So, today’s focus: Hold your plans lightly. Follow God’s leading closely. Because when God directs our steps, we don’t have to figure everything out, we just have to follow. 

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