God has His own purpose before Him; we should always remember this when making plans. Behind all God’s outward acts towards His people Israel, His dealings with the nations of the earth, and His discipline of the saints who form the church, He has a purpose concerning all of them. Everything is made to bend and fit the accomplishment of it in a magnificent way, regardless of how hidden it may be from the sight of man. “The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand. . . . This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it?” (Isa. 14:24-27). It is not a purpose formed because events have turned out as they have in the world’s history, but the events that have happened serve to bring about God’s purpose, for His purpose is an eternal purpose. When the church is spoken of, it says, He “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” and “according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 1:11; 3:11). A good understanding of what He has revealed in the New Testament concerning this purpose will enable us to make plans and decisions that fit with His plan and will be sure to endure.
Concise Bible Dictionary, adapted