I Forgot Who I Was--Nothing Can Stop The Plan

2 Peter 3:9

Hey yall. I know it's been a couple of weeks. Listen...life hit hard. Three deaths in a matter of 2 weeks. The church flooded. Being in a place so dark emotionally where I didn't even think I could get out. It's been real out here in these streets. But even in all of that NOTHING and I mean nothing can stop God's plan for my life. 

Psalm 33:11 New Living Translation (NLT)

11 But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever;
    his intentions can never be shaken.

There are so many people that come to message when I read this passage, including myself. When God created us, He created us with intention and with purpose. He created teachers to impart knowledge. He created doctors to assist in healing. Even though God is the ultimate everything and is able to any and every thing, He still created us with a purpose. 

The difference between man and God, in all honesty, is His perfection. His love is perfect. We were made from love. How? Because God is love. Because He loves us, He doesn't just throw us away when we don't do what we were purposed to do. He knows that we're going to do what He intended us to do anyway. Man isn't like that. When things don't meet our expectations, we throw them away. That's not just a "some people" thing. Everybody does it. Think about how many failed friendships and relationships you've had. You got rid of them or they got rid of you because somebody didn't meet somebody else's expectations. The relationship whether it be platonic or romantic did not go as intended. 

It's kinda funny to me because today's society is sooooo quick to cancel something. Something says something a little off--cancel. A brand does something that aint about the right--cancel. God ain't like that. He keeps us even when we go against His will.

John 6:63 New Living Translation (NLT)

63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Proverbs 19:21 New Living Translation (NLT)

21 You can make many plans,
    but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

That's why He lets it happen. He gives us free will, but His plan still stands. We can do what we want to do and reap the consequences. We do something wrong, and He's like:


"That's cute. I got something for that." 

Proverbs 16:9 New Living Translation (NLT)

9 We can make our plans,
    but the Lord determines our steps.

But ALL things work together for the good of them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. So what that means regardless of what you do, nothing can stop what God has put in place. 

Isaiah 14:27 New Living Translation (NLT)

27 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken—
    who can change his plans?
When his hand is raised,
    who can stop him?”

Listen....I don't know who I thought I was, but I thought I could stop what God wanted to do in my life.  God showed me who I was a long time ago. I can remember being a little girl, maybe about 5 or 6, and I would have these crazy dreams. It was always me dressed up in front a huge crowd of people. I would go through these different phases where I wanted to be all of these different things: a doctor, a singer, a teacher, a counselor...It was all a set up for the set up. 

When I found out what God really wanted from me, I didn't even understand it. LISTEN LINDA I was living like I wanted to bust hell wide open before I really really knew what God wanted to do, and even after I found out I was like 


I started doing even more crazy stuff because I just knew that if I did something bad enough, God would be like "I can't use her like this." LIES. As a matter of fact, one prophet told me in front of my entire church family that I had a David anointing that I would fall away but I would always  come back. When I tell yall I rolled my eyes so hard because I was not trying to hear any of that. 

I had what you might call the Jonah anointing at the time. Jonah took off so He wouldn't have to fulfill God's promise. I'm talking about this man took off . Like God wouldn't find him. There is nowhere you can run where God can't find you. You can think you've gone too far, but God can reach down and put you back in place because nothing can stop His plan. 

And on another note, God don't need your help with his plan. Like God is God all by himself. He don't need your help! So stop trying to fulfill your purpose before your time. Yes, God has purpose for your life, but He doesn't need you to jump into that purpose before His timing. 

2 Peter 3:9 New Living Translation (NLT)

9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

God told Sarai (Sarah) that she would have a son. Sarah laughed. I mean I don't blame her, she was old enough to be my great grandmother and God told her she was going to have a baby. I probably would've laughed too.

But before that happened, God had already told Abram that he was going to be a father of many nations and that his son would inherit the land. The Bible doesn't say he told Sarai what was going on when they left his family's land. I mean if I was Sarai, you gon have to do some explaining. I would've been like 

I'm sorry but the way I'm made I need  to know what's going on. I just refuse to believe that she went without a question. Not only that, but when God shares something with you, if it is that important, you should share with your spouse, especially when it affects them. 

See, the issue is that when God says something that sounds crazy like that, we don't really believe Him. We're so quick to say God can do exceedingly and abundantly, but when He really does it we're like


Where the faith go, sis? So what we do is we try to make it happen on our own. For some of you, that means stepping into your calling too soon. Operating a gift that isn't all the way done because you don't think God will ever release you into your purpose. Sarai didn't think that God was going to give her a son, naturally so she did it on her own. That's how we ended up with Ishmael. 

Genesis 16 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Birth of Ishmael

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. 3 So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.)

4 So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!”

6 Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.

7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. 8 The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied.

9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” 10 Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”

11 And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. 12 This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.”

13 Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.”[a] She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” 14 So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means “well of the Living One who sees me”). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.

Let's pause right here. My issue here is that every single time I've ever heard someone preach this,  they always talk about what Sarai did. Maybe it's the feminist in me, but this was not her fault. God had not yet spoken to her regarding children. God spoke to Abram. So Abram should've been held accountable for his decision to go into Hagar. He already knew what God promised him. He knew that God had called him to be the father of many nations. God told him that when he didn't have a single child. 

That's why you have to wait on God. When we don't do things in His timing and the way He ordained it, we mess it up. God commanded Hagar to name that baby Ishmael because of how he was conceived. That child was cursed from birth. 

Even still, God kept His promise to Sarai and Abram. He changed her name to Sarah and his to Abraham and kept His word. 

Genesis 17:5 New Living Translation (NLT)

5 What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham,[a] for you will be the father of many nations

Genesis 17:15 New Living Translation (NLT)

Sarai Is Named Sarah

15 Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah.[a]

Sometimes God has to change your name and how you identify yourself. That's why this series is called I Forgot Who I Was. When you remember who you are and come into that knowledge, the game changes. 

Ephesians 2:10 New Living Translation (NLT)

10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Sarai couldn't proceed into the manifestation because she had to change. Sarai didn't believe God was capable. Sarai had a control issue. Sarai didn't know how to take her hands off. But Sarah?!? Sarah was delivered from all of these things and saw the promise come to pass. Not only that, but God blessed the mess that Sarai and Abram created. Because nothing can stop His plan.