Our Plans and God’s Plans

This has been a season none of us could have imagined. Just after our students left for spring break, COVID-19 brought everything and everyone to a stop.

This created a flurry of activity at Moody. We made difficult choices to safeguard our students, faculty, and staff. Many were disappointed to see long-anticipated events, like commencement, postponed or cancelled. I am sure you felt the same way. Our carefully constructed plans were in upheaval.

But during the past days, I’ve been struck by the conviction that none of this was a surprise to God. We serve a God who holds the past, the present, and the future. Nothing escapes His notice. Hebrews 2:8 says that there is “nothing outside his control.” And while the Word of God commends planning, we are reminded that our plans are firmly in His hands (Proverbs 16:9) and that He “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11).

With that truth foremost in my mind, let me update you on what is happening at Moody. With a full leadership team now in place, we are successfully concluding our 133rd academic year and have a God-sized vision of doubling our impact by 2030. As we enter this exciting season, we are bringing our plans before God.

These plans will require prayer as well as a significant amount of resources. An integral component to our 2030 vision is our campus redevelopment initiative, which launched in July 2019. Many of you have come alongside us in prayer, and for that I am extremely grateful. Real estate development and investment firms showed tremendous interest in the land we offered, and within the timeframe of this column, we are trusting that the Lord will have provided for us a trusted and collaborative partner.

Resources secured through this transaction will help us make investments in our infrastructure to create a state-of-the-art, gospel-centered urban campus, as well as launch initiatives to expand our education and media ministry footprint for the sake of Christ. I will update you soon with some exciting announcements related to this effort. In the meantime, please pray for the real estate development process and those involved, specifically that we would heed the age-old wisdom of Proverbs 3:5–6 and trust the Lord, leaning upon His wisdom and knowledge.

Thank you for praying for Moody. Please remember our students, faculty, and staff as they respond to this current situation with flexibility, creativity, and grace. Pray for wisdom and clarity amongst Moody leadership, that we will steward well all that the Lord has blessed us with so that we can continue to expand Moody’s impact for the sake of King Jesus and His gospel.

Likewise, we will be praying for you as you continue to serve across our nation and the globe. I am confident that God will use you “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14) to communicate the hope of the gospel and the comfort and truth found in God’s Word.