I was deep in prayer, asking Him, “Jesus, what are Your plans for me?” As I was praying, my eyes drifted to the window. I looked out at the vastness before me and felt very small. And I thought, The One who created all this must surely have plans for me that are far greater than anything I can imagine. In that moment, I sensed God speak to me gently:
“You are still looking through the window.”
It hit me hard. I realised that even my “biggest” thoughts were limited by the frame of that window. I was still trying to figure out God’s infinite plans with my finite mind, safely tucked inside my room. It reminded me of Abraham. Scripture shows him sitting inside his tent, trying to reason out how God would fulfill His Word for him. He was limited by the ceiling above him, just as I was limited by the frame of my window. So God did something simple —
He took Abraham outside and said:
“Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” — Genesis 15:5
God had to move Abraham out of his container to show him that His plans were not just slightly bigger than Abraham’s thoughts — they were immeasurable.
If God already has plans for us that are too big for our minds to comprehend, what are we supposed to do?
1.We don’t create the plan; we prepare for the birth.
Isaiah 54 uses the image of a woman preparing for a child to show us how to handle God’s vast purpose. It begins by saying:
“Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the Lord.
2. Grace vs. Works — The scripture draws a powerful contrast here:
The Woman with a Husband (Works): The woman with a husband represents works. She depends on what she has — her own ability, effort, and resources — to be fruitful. This mindset says, “I can make this happen.” We see this in Abraham when he tried to help God by having Ishmael. Instead of waiting for God’s plan to unfold, he chose his own plan. What is born through works comes from striving and stress, and it is limited to human strength.
The Desolate Woman (Grace): The desolate woman represents grace. She has nothing to rely on — no strength, no resources. Her situation looks impossible. If fruit is to come, God must do it. The Lord promises that what is born through grace — when we stop striving and start trusting — will be far greater than anything we could ever plan or produce on our own.
3. Prepare the Room
Since we cannot force the birth through our own works, our only job is to get the nursery ready. God won’t pour His vastness into a cramped life. As the chapter unfolds, Isaiah 54 gives us the blueprint for preparation:
“Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.
For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.”
4. Enlarge
To enlarge the place of the tent is to make more room. It is the quiet moment of stepping away from the window and admitting that our view is too small — and saying yes to God’s plans beyond it. God is asking us to lift our eyes from what is manageable and familiar, and to allow Him to show us what He sees and to make room for it.
5. Stretch
Stretching out the curtains speaks of openness. A tent with open curtains is welcoming. Abraham lived this way. In Genesis 18, when strangers appeared in the heat of the day, he ran to meet them and served them. He thought he was offering a simple meal, but they were carrying confirmation of God’s plan for his life. When we choose to live outward instead of inward — blessing others rather than guarding ourselves — we align with the way God works. His purposes for us are never self-contained, and somehow, without chasing it, we are met with more than we gave. (Proverbs 11:25)
6. Do Not Hold Back
To not hold back is to resist the urge to shrink in fear. Fear asks us to stay with what is familiar. Abraham’s journey only moved forward when he left what he knew, trusting God without a map. New purposes often require the courage to release old securities.
7. Lengthen and Strengthen
Then God says to lengthen the cords and strengthen the stakes. Lengthening allows the tent to expand, while strengthening keeps it grounded. Expansion without depth will not last. Abraham was always moving, yet everywhere he went, he built an altar — his place of constant communion with God. If you want to go wide , you must first go deep. God’s purposes may be vast, but they rest on a strong, intimate foundation with Him.
As Abraham learned to live enlarged, open, unguarded, and rooted in relationship with God, the fullness of God’s plan began to surface. What started as a promise of a son unfolded into something far greater. Abram became Abraham — father of many nations. Abraham would not just carry a child; he would carry a purpose that stretched far beyond his lifetime. God’s plans were never limited to one moment or one miracle. They were expansive, generational and far-reaching. But Abraham could only see them clearly once he stopped reasoning inside the tent and learnt to walk with God in trust.
And perhaps that is where this meets us.
Are you still looking through the window?
The window feels safe. But it is small. It frames life by what we can manage, explain and control. But the God we serve cannot be framed. He is calling you outside — out of the safety of your tent, out of the boundaries of your own understanding, and into the vast, star-filled expanse of His Purpose. He does not want you to exhaust yourself trying to make things happen. Our role is quieter. We enlarge our vision. We prepare the room. We stretch outward in love. We root ourselves firmly in relationship with Him.
Do not settle for a future you can manufacture. Don’t trade the infinite for the safe. Stop trying to write the blueprint and start preparing the room. Step away from the window .Rest in the promise found in Psalm 138:8:
“The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me.”
He has the plan. You just need to be ready.
