God's Plan Didn’t Need Human Permission to Proceed

Discernment is rarely confirmed by unanimous applause. This is a tough lesson to learn. There was a season in my life when I sensed God nudging me in a certain direction, not loudly, but persistently. It was less a thunderclap and more a steady pressure on my heart that would not let me rest. The direction felt clear, but the responses around me did not. I began to second-guess myself. Was this truly God’s leading, or my own ambition? Was I being faithful, or simply stubborn? I prayed more during that season than I ever had before.

I reached out to a seminary professor, and she shared words with me that I keep to this day. “Humans and institutions may try, but they cannot stop what God has already set into motion; keep trusting.”

Sometimes trusting means standing in the tension between conviction and consensus. The Spirit’s leading often feels quieter than human resistance, but deeper. Resistance is loud. God’s call is steady. I discovered that faithfulness is less about winning approval and more about remaining attentive. God was not asking me to argue everyone into agreement. God was asking me to trust Him.

I learned that following God sometimes means disappointing expectations. It may mean walking into spaces where you are not fully understood. It may require a steady “yes” to God when others are saying, “Are you sure?” But I also learned that when the call is truly from God, He sustains what He initiates. Human resistance can slow your steps, but it cannot cancel God’s invitation. And sometimes, the holiest thing you can do is just keep walking.

That’s the example Jesus has set for us. God’s plan did not hinge on human approval. Palm Sunday reminds us that God’s purposes are not fragile. They are not stalled by resistance, nor advanced by popularity. The same voices shouting “Hosanna” would soon grow quiet. Some would even cry “Crucify.” Yet the cross was not a detour. It was the plan.

What strikes me most is that creation itself stands ready to testify. If human hearts harden, stones will speak. God’s glory will not be muted. And yet, in grace, He invites us to participate. The crowd had the privilege of praising Jesus. The Pharisees had the opportunity to recognize the Messiah. Both were woven into the story, but neither controlled it. God’s redemptive work moves forward–steady, sovereign, unstoppable.

There is deep comfort here. When opposition rises. When faithfulness feels small. When obedience seems unnoticed. God’s plan does not need our permission to proceed. But God graciously welcomes our praise and participation along the way.