Is He Ever Taken By Surprise?

When a word keeps dropping in your spirit, you know it is something you should be mindful of, and possibly alert others about. The thing is “God is never taken by Surprise”.

I recall the day He first taught me this lesson. It was shortly before the Easter of year 2011.

A friend had been speaking to me about a lifetime assignment we were both to do for God. I love God and always wanted to do His Will but in this instance, I had my reservations and was concerned for myself because of what this seemingly complicated assignment will entail, especially as it was said that God had earlier revealed that this assignment be done by this friend in the company of someone else who as was reported, was at first convinced but in the midst of challenges, doubted, faith-dwindled back and forth, lost faith in the programme and eventually opted out, permanently.

My concerns were genuine; for instance I wondered why the arrow pointed at me now and why I had to be a ‘replacement’. This didn’t seem in tandem with what God had been speaking to me about; how my life was for His Glory, how He was reserving me for a purpose, how I was special, how the man He will give me to for wife will be a GREAT man, how that we will be BLESSED and be A BLESSING, and so on and so forth. I mean I was in order and in tune with God and thought it was only fair for Him to let my life run its natural course. It didn’t seem right that He would want to pluck me out of my life’s path to fill a gap somewhere. Wasn’t I His child too and deserved a right to His original plan for me? By the way, how come this initial ‘arrangement’ with the other person didn’t work out? If indeed it was Him who set it up, didn’t he know that it wouldn’t work, why didn’t He prevent it from failing in the first place? Whatever happened to those nice things He spoke to me about my life? Why would He change my natural course? Why, why, why?

I struggled with these thoughts for weeks, disappointed and somewhat hurt. When I managed to pray, I complained, questioned and queried God.

But no answer came. I guess I was too noisy on the inside. For when my spirit eventually calmed down, He responded to me, and rather asked me a question in a still and quiet voice;

“Am I ever taken by surprise?”

This question echoed in my ears for days. As I pondered it and probed Him searching the scriptures for a case where He was taken unawares, it dawned on me. The more I checked, the more I saw Him in the know of everything; every single thing that happens under the sun and in the heavens above. And of course how in His wisdom he prepares for eventualities. Looking back today, it’s funny recalling how I probed Him but then of course, it’s extremely comforting to know that He is a faithful God.

In His mercies, He made it clear to me that this ‘change of course’ was the plan all along. He had seen the days well ahead of everyone and had made adequate preparations from the very onset. He added that through all that happened, He expects that we all know Him better, and TRUST HIM MORE.

I have since learnt my lesson and settled down to this powerful truth;

GOD IS NEVER TAKEN BY SURPRISE.

He is Omniscience – He is all-knowing.

He knows the way our lives will run; from when we’re born to when we die.

He is never caught off guard. No, not God.

He knows what’s going down next in our world, what will happen tomorrow, the year after, or even a thousand years from now. He knows! And thankfully, He’s got us in His plans.

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed”. (Psalm 139: 13 – 16 NLT).

 ^“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9-10 KJV)