Chosen Grace

Hi everyone! This is our last post for 2025. I pray you enjoy it!

A few weeks ago, I made one of the biggest purchases of my life so far. Are you ready to know what it is? I bought myself a new car! I’m still learning all of the ins and outs of it, but I am so proud of myself and I’m thankful the God for helping me get it.

But…would you believe that I almost didn’t get the car?

Let’s rewind to six months ago – at the end of June. My brother had just gotten himself a car after saving for a few months. My entire family went car shopping with him, and it was a fun experience. James, my brother, was so proud and excited. And as his older sister, I was beyond proud of him.

After that, I had a desire to get a car too. All the car’s I’ve ever driven were older and hand-me-downs. I wanted something I could call my own. So, I made a deal with myself and God that at the end of the year, I would save, follow suit, and get a new car just as my brother had done.

Six months flew by and before I knew it, December was upon me. Though I had been saving, I wasn’t so sure about getting a new car then. I had a mix of emotions. My car (a 2011 Chevrolet HHR) was doing pretty well. Sure, it was a little loud and sometimes didn’t have the “umph” it used to have, but we were making it.

To top it off, my mom had to have surgery and with me being the oldest child and I live at home, I knew that I would have to take care of her (which deserves a blog post in itself as the Lord has taught me so many lessons through this experience!) And because of these changes and feelings I was experiencing, I had decided to wait until my birthday in January to make the purchase

When I discussed this with my mom, she shook her head no rapidly and said, “No, we’re going soon because you’ve been saving and you’re ready.”

Once my mom said that, I was excited yet nervous because how did she know that I was ready? And, I’ll admit, I was questioning myself, wondering if I was really ready to make such a life change.

That night, as I wrestled with these thoughts, I had my phone in my hands and somehow landed on the Bible app. Looking at the text on the screen, I knew that the Lord was speaking to my spirit. Here’s what he said:

Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

— Proverbs 19:21, NIV

You see, in this passage of Scripture, King Solomon was describing our inner desires. As humans, God has given us a mind and free will to make decisions. And that’s a beautiful thing! With this, we have the ability to plan our days, long-term events, and even what we want to eat at night. It’s a graceful freedom.

But with this freedom comes the realization that God is still in control. His sovereignty is the reason why we may desire to get to a place on time, but we end up getting stopped at all the red lights. It’s also the reason why we may desire a cheesburger and fries, but end up at Taco Bell. What I mean is simple: we may plan our way, but it is God’s will that will stand.

So, thought I was feeling nervous and a little scared – I trusted God. And a couple of days after my mom told me that we were going car shopping, we did! And before I knew it- I had gotten a new car- one that was better than what I had been previously considering.

To top it off, everything happened smoothly, from test driving to signing the paperwork – just as the Lord had planned.

A week after purchasing my new car, I was cleaning out my old car, and when I went to start it, I was appalled at how badly it sounded. It was loud, running heavy, and it felt slower than previously. It shocked me because I hadn’t driven the car in only a week, and it sounded as if it hadn’t been crunk in 3 months. Yeah, it was that bad.

As I drove it to the car wash, still appalled at what I was hearing and feeling, the Lord said these words to me.

“See, I knew what you needed. Trust me.”

Immediately, the Lord reminded me of the Scripture above. The Lord began to minister to me this fact: We as humans don’t know what we really want. Yes, we have desires, but the Lord knows what is good for us. Let’s look at a verse that puts this into perspective:

The heart is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it?

— Jeremiah 17:9, NIV

You see, if we lean to our own understanding, we will never know what is best for us. If we trust our own selves, we can possibly stay at a place on this journey of life longer than expected or miss the unexpected yet purposeful detour the Lord has carved out for us.

As we prepare to enter a new year, we have so many plans and goals. And these are good! But let’s also ask God for His will to prevail when 2026 rolls around.

Let’s also remember that while our plans are good, our hearts are deceitful and it often doesn’t know what’s best for us. Only God does.

As I close this post, I want to encourage you all that it may be a new car you want, or that relationship you’ve been praying for. In every situation, prayer, and circumstance -let’s trust in God’s prevailing will for our lives.

With love and faith,

Malaysia 🙂