When Your Plans Get Frustrated

September 19, 2026 by Tom Sugimura

David Entering Petra

King David shows us, in Psalm 60, how to pray when life doesn’t go according to plan.

Trust God’s Sovereign Love

First, we trust that God is ultimately sovereign over everything that happens in life. He governs both good and evil and is never taken by surprise (Isaiah 45:7). We may not know God’s purposes in every trial, but we know he always has a plan (Proverbs 19:21). So, David prays for healing and restoration because he knows that God is faithful even when God’s people are not (Psalm 60:1-3). He calls for God to rescue, so they can re-group in faith and re-enter the fray (v. 4). Instead of grumbling about God’s sovereign discipline, David pleads with God to pour out sovereign grace.

We see the greatest picture of God’s sovereign love at the cross of Christ, for the greatest tragedy in human history was the death of God’s own Son. The disciples all thought the cross was a horrible idea (Matthew 16:21-23). Yet only through Christ’s sufferings, could God bring about salvation. His death stood in place of ours. His sacrifice paid the price that we deserved. Thus, God's plan redeemed our failed human plans. As finite creatures, we don’t always know God’s purposes, but we do know he is sovereign. And if God had a purpose for the suffering of his own Son, then he certainly has a purpose for our suffering as well (Romans 8:31-32). So, let’s trust God’s sovereign love even when life doesn’t go according to plan.

Receive God’s Holy Word

David continues praying “that your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer us!” (Psalm 60:5). Even when God rejects his people for a time, he still loves them. Even when he pours out wrath, he remains fully committed to his chosen people. So, David prays for God to keep his promises because God alone has the power to save them. His right hand is stronger than all of Israel’s enemies. As the one true God, he is the only deity to whom David can pray that will hear and answer prayers.

Then suddenly, God answers from within the psalm itself: “God has spoken in his holiness” (v. 6a). The Lord declares that all the land belongs to him (vv. 6b-7). Despite man’s petty squabbles throughout history, our God remains King of all the earth and distributes blessings as he sees fit. He governs nations and peoples and boundaries and borders. Shechem and Succoth are sacred places beside the Jordan. Gilead and Manasseh are Israelite territories in the east while Ephraim and Judah stand to the west. By listing all these places east—west—north— south, God declares that “ all Israel belongs to me.” God is also sovereign over Israel’s enemies: Moab, Edom, and Philistia (v. 8). With a bit of trash talk, he calls Moab his washbasin—the place he rinses his stinky feet. He throws his sandal in the face of Edom—a Middle Eastern insult. Then just like Goliath did to Israel, God taunts the Philistines to bring it on: “Over Philistia I shout in triumph.” God declares his victory before the battle even starts, for prideful pagans do not belong in God’s chosen family.

Likewise, God assures us, “You are my beloved. You are mine. Your whole life belongs to me. Your horrible job situation is my washbasin. Don’t worry about your cancer; I throw my shoe at it. I declare victory over your troubled marriage. I promise to judge those bullies who never leave you alone. And I am preparing a glorious eternity where sin and sickness will harm you no more (Revelation 21:4-5). When God speaks, you can trust his Word. And even when your plans get frustrated, you can know that he still loves you (Romans 8:35, 37-39). So, trust God’s sovereign love and receive God’s holy Word. Then finally, follow God’s perfect plan.

Follow God’s Perfect Plan

As he prepares for battle, David asks, “Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?” (Psalm 60:9). David takes the fight to Petra—an impregnable fortress built directly into limestone cliffs and only accessible through a narrow canyon. This fortress is virtually impenetrable to foreign armies, yet David will not shrink from danger as he attacks Edom at their strongest. David insists, however, that God must lead them into battle, for he is devastated by Israel’s recent losses (v. 10). God had not protected his people last time, but left them exposed to their enemies. So, what if Israel rises to attack and faces defeat again? David humbly submits his plans to God and declares that Israel cannot conquer unless God is on their side. He prays, “Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes” (vv. 11-12). God alone must lead them into battle, “for vain is the salvation of man!” God alone must strengthen the weak and make the fearful valiant, for God alone treads down their foes.

So, what’s your Petra—your seemingly impossible situation? Your plans are frustrated at every turn. The people around you are all against you, and sometimes, you even sabotage yourself. Trust God’s sovereign love and receive God’s holy Word, for he has blessings set aside for you. He has chosen you as his precious child and promises victory over all your enemies. So, even when your plans get frustrated, lament to God in prayer. Tell him about your Petra—the fortified city that threatens to overcome you. Call on him to lead you into battle and to do what seems impossible. In your human strength, you will surely fail. But with the Lord’s help, you shall triumph valiantly.

Pray Psalm 60:

O God, I hate it when my plans get frustrated, but I know you’re in control (vv. 1-3).
Give me the strength to keep on following you (v. 4).
Remind me that I am your beloved and you hold me in your strong right hand (v. 5).
Open my eyes to your holy Word (v. 6a).
Show me the blessings you have allotted and your promise of certain victory (vv. 6b-8).
Grant me the help that only you can offer and teach me to live valiantly (vv. 9-12).

9/19/2026 12:41:49 AM

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About Tom Sugimura

Tom Sugimura is a pastor-writer, church planting coach, and professor of biblical counseling. He writes at tomsugi.com, ministers the gospel at New Life Church, and hosts the Every Peoples Podcast. He and his wife cherish the moments as they raise their four kids in Southern California.

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