My grandson Cobi used to have trouble putting puzzles together. When he decided a certain piece should fit into a specific spot, there was no convincing him that he could be wrong. No matter how difficult it was to squeeze that piece in, he pushed and pounded on it saying, “It WILL fit!”

How often do we adults act that way when things don’t “fit” in our lives? I’ve heard people say, “I’m going to do what I want, no matter what God wants.” I wonder if they realize what they’re saying.

According to the Bible, plans that go against God’s will don’t prosper. “Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)

My husband and I once fell in love with a gorgeous Victorian home. We wanted to buy that house more than we had ever wanted anything, but it wasn’t within our price range. We were determined, so we came up with a plan to get what we wanted. We would get second jobs and take in renters. We would get by with only one car and sell everything else we owned.

We had our plan all figured out, but the house sold to someone else before we could make our offer. We were disappointed at the time, but we later realized it had worked out for the best. We were fortunate that we didn’t get what we wanted. We would have been buried in debt forever if we’d bought that house, and we would have eventually regretted the mess we’d gotten into.

We’re glad now that God worked out His will instead of letting us have our own way. We’ve learned that we need to seek God’s guidance before making our plans. His plan is always better than our own. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Marsha Jordan tomj@newnorth.netwww.hugsandhope.org/mj.htm Marsha is an author and has written “Hugs, Hope, and Peanut Butter.”