God Is Leading You Even When You Can’t See the Plan

🎨 Ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start walking confidently with God as an artist? 👉 Learn more here: https://www.matttommeymentoring.com/pathway

The Thriving Christian Artist Pathway is my proven, step-by-step mentoring journey that's helped thousands of Christian artists gain clarity, confidence, and creative momentum by learning to create with God—not just for Him.

Have you ever wished God would just show you the whole plan for your life?

As artists, it's easy to believe that if we just prayed harder, became more spiritual, or heard God more clearly, we'd finally know exactly what to create, where to go, and how everything is supposed to work.

But what if God isn't withholding the blueprint?

What if He's inviting you into something even better?

In this video, I'll share four biblical truths that completely transformed the way I walk with God as an artist. You'll discover why God often leads us one step at a time, how to trust Him when you can't see the whole picture, and why becoming the artist He created you to be is less about getting all the answers and more about faithfully walking with Him every day.

In this video you'll discover:
• Why God often gives promises before He gives plans.
 • The difference between pursuing certainty and pursuing relationship.
 • What the name Jehovah Jireh really means—and why it changes everything.
• Why God cares more that you create than what you create.
• How to confidently move forward even when you don't have all the answers.

Scriptures referenced include:
• Proverbs 3:5–6
 • Proverbs 25:2
 • Psalm 119:105
 • Genesis 22
 • John 10
 • John 15
 • Romans 8
 • Galatians 5
 • 2 Peter 1:3–4
 • Colossians 3:23
 • Micah 6:8
 • 2 Corinthians 9:8

If this video encouraged you, I'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment and let me know:

Have you been asking God for a plan—or learning to trust His promises?

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Transcript

Wanting The Whole Plan

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Hey, have you ever wished God would just show up and give you the whole plan for your life? I mean, all the answers that you've been looking for. Listen, I know I have for years because honestly, I thought if, you know, I've just prayed harder or obeyed God better, eventually he would tell me exactly what he wanted me to do with my life and with my heart and all the things I was asking about until one day God showed me something far better than all the answers that I thought I was looking for. And so today I want to share that discovery with you because once you see it, it's going to absolutely set you free from the pressure of trying to figure out everything by yourself before you take that next step of faith. So let's jump in. Well, hey, my friend, I'm Matt Tommy. And every week I'm here helping Christian artists learn how to walk with God, create with him, and thrive in your creative calling. And listen, after more than 30 years as a professional artist, lots of years mentoring Christian artists around the world, here's the first thing that God showed me about why he doesn't always give us the answers that we're looking for on our timeline. See, we spend a lot of our lives, at least I have, you know, asking God for answers and wanting ironclad certainty before we step out when what he's really inviting us into is a relationship. And the difference is really night and day. Now, listen, before you get upset with me, I'm not saying that, you know, if you're asking God for answers, you don't love him, or, you know, we're intentionally ignoring him. I'm not saying that. But I think if we're honest, what we often want from God is enough information so we can finally move forward on a decision without, you know, feeling afraid or without experiencing what we would feel like are any negative outcomes. I mean, think about the way that a lot of times we pray, you know, for things like, oh God, you know, what should I exactly should I create? Or should I apply for this show or that show? Or should I quit my job? Or, you know, should I be a full-time artist? Should I raise my prices? Should I write the book? Should I say yes? Should I say no? Do I go left? Do I go right? I mean, listen, all of those are common questions. They're not bad questions.

Certainty Versus Relationship

SPEAKER_00 3:12

And I prayed almost, you know, all of those more times than I care to admit. But eventually, you know, you come down to the bottom of it and you start realizing, listen, if God answered every one of those questions exactly like I wanted, I'd probably thank him. And then I'd probably run out there and try to execute the plan on my own, right? And that's when I realized I didn't actually want relationship. What I wanted was ultimately about certainty. But see, here's the deal: Jesus never invited us into that kind of life. Jesus never said to the disciples, you know, come into me and get all the instructions, all the plans. He said what? He said, follow me. And that is a huge difference. Wanting all the answers on our timeline, that's transactional. And the other is relational. One is about getting information when we want it, and the other is about walking with a person. And all throughout the New Testament, that's exactly how Jesus discipled people. He didn't hand, you know, the disciples, you know, here's the five-year discipleship plan. He said, What? Follow me, walk with me, stay close, watch me, listen to me, listen to my voice, trust me, uh, day by day, just like I'm doing. I see I'm doing what I see the Father doing, you do the same thing. Friend, listen, that that's still how he leads us today. And so here's the first thing that I want you to remember. We often want certainty, but God is always about relationship. Now, before we go any further, I just want to say this. If what I'm talking about is hitting home for you, and if you've been second guessing yourself on your journey, like I did for a lot of years, and wondering, am I even really hearing God or why am I stuck waiting for more clarity? I mean, listen, I just want you to know you're not alone. And in fact, that's exactly why I created the Thriving Christian Artist Pathway, because it's it's not just another course about selling your art or marketing yourself as an artist. It's a step-by-step biblical framework to help you stop striving, learn to walk with God as an artist, and build your creative life and even business from a place of identity instead of uncertainty. Now, Lisa, I'll tell you a little bit more about this later, but if you want to check it out while you're watching this video, you there's a link right below here in the comments and also in the description. You can check that out. All right. Now, here's the second thing that the Lord showed me. Sometimes God gives people a plan, and sometimes he gives them a promise. And understanding the difference in those, the plan versus the promise, that changed everything for me. See, neither one is better than the other, although sometimes they can't be in our mind. They're just different. I mean, think about it. Let's let's look at God's word, right? Think about Nehemiah. God gave him an incredibly specific assignment, right? Go to Jerusalem, rebuild the wall, organize all the people to do the work, uh, face the opposition, finish the work. There was a very tangible, detailed plan. But then look at Abraham, right? Completely different. God just said to him, Hey, go to the land that I'll show you. No, that's not what he did. He just said what? He said, Go and trust me. Even think

Plan Versus Promise

SPEAKER_00 6:23

about David, right? I mean, God anointed him king as a teenager, but what he forgot to tell David, forgot, right, is that, you know, here's what the next 20 years are going to look like. Here's exactly how they're going to unfold. No, there was a promise, but there wasn't much of a plan. And even again, the disciples, I mean, think about this. Jesus did not sit them down and explain to them every city, every situation they were going to be in, every miracle that they'd witness, every hardship that they would endure, you know, how their life, even their lives would end, right? They probably would have freaked them out. He simply said, What? Follow me. See, again, God sometimes gives us a plan and sometimes he gives us a promise. And there's a reason behind both. But here's what I've realized. We will probably always in our natural flesh, you know, prefer the plan because plans make us feel safe. Plans give us something to manage, to sink our teeth into, to, to measure, something to execute, right? But promises are different. Promises require us to trust. Promises require us to have relationships. Promises to, you know, promises require us to keep walking, even when we can't see what's next around the corner. And I've often wondered, especially in my own life, and maybe for you, maybe that's exactly where God wants us. Maybe some of us have been playing, praying for a plan. And maybe all that God's given you right now is a promise. Maybe he's put a dream in your heart. Maybe he's called you to create. Maybe he's awakened something inside you that just won't let you go creatively, but he hasn't told you exactly how all that's going to work out. Listen, that does not mean that you've missed him or that you're doing something wrong. Doesn't mean that he's disappointed in you. It doesn't even mean that he's gone silent or you're in some dark night of the soul. It simply means he's inviting you into a season where trust matters more than certainty. Now, listen, this really raises an important question, which is why would a loving father choose to lead us this way, right? I mean, God already knows everything, right? He knows the end from the beginning. I mean, why not just go ahead and tell us everything? I mean, I personally have wrestled with that for years. It's frustrating, right? But one day I started realizing that God wasn't trying to accomplish in me what I thought he was. And this is the third truth that I want to share with you today. God isn't primarily trying to get information to you, get you to accomplish an assignment. He's trying to form something inside of you. And listen, I don't know about you, but I was assuming that God's best, highest priority for me was getting information to me to accomplish an assignment, to reach the goal, to honor him, to reach, preach the kingdom, do all the kind of stuff. But listen, God started showing me, um, I all that'll come if I can just form something inside of you. I mean, think about this. If if every morning God handed you a blueprint for life, right, how much would you actually need to trust him? You'd simply execute the plan, you'd become probably dependent on the information instead of what? Dependent on your relationship with him. And that has never been God's desire anywhere in the Word. God isn't raising up employees who can just follow instructions. He's raising up sons and daughters

God Forms You From The Inside

SPEAKER_00 9:40

who know his voice. And that is the whole point of this video. That's why Jesus said in John 10, My sheep know my voice. They hear my voice. My not my sheep will receive all the detailed blueprints, right? In fact, in Romans it says, What? Those who are led by the Spirit of God are what? Are the sons of God. Notice that the ones who are led, not managed, not programmed, not the ones who have all the answers, the ones that are led on the journey, which is all about what? Relationship and conversation and communion and struggle and walking together, which is why over and over and over in Scripture, we see these invitations to walk by the Spirit, you know, walk humbly with your God. Don't grow weary in doing good. You know, whatever you do, do it as unto the Lord. Live a quiet life, work with your hands, mind your own business. You know, it says in Thessalonians, abide in me. Listen, none of those are instructions about discovering your assignment or doing things for God. No, they're descriptions of a way of life. And I think that's one of the biggest things that if we're not careful, we can miss as artists. We we become so focused on finding the perfect assignment that we've forgotten God's greatest desire is forming the person, us, you and me, that's carrying the assignment. Because becoming the artist that God created you to be isn't about getting the right answers from God. It's about becoming the kind of son and daughter who can walk faithfully with him wherever he leads. You know, looking back at my own journey over the years, the biggest breakthroughs that I've had didn't come because God suddenly downloaded the five-year business plan. You know, they came because I was just faithful to take the next step. And sometimes, you know, all it took was a little nudge. Sometimes I had a burden, sometimes I had a desire that wouldn't leave me alone or some kind of vision. Sometimes it didn't make any kind of logical sense at all. But in all of those situations, as I trusted him and just kept walking, even though I couldn't see everything, the next step always became clearer. And then the next, and then the next, and the next door opened, and the next divine appointment. And listen, I've learned that some of the clearest plans that I've ever received from God didn't come before I stepped out. They came in seasons where all I had was a promise. In other words, as I walked faithfully with him, even when I couldn't see, that's when revelation came. Not because I'd earned it or because I did it right, but because relationship creates the environment where God can continually lead us. Friend, don't get frustrated and give up in the season where all it seems like you have is a promise. Listen, some of God's greatest plans are born out of people who simply refused to stop walking. They just are people that are saying, you know what, no matter what it takes, I'm gonna keep going. That's the kind of heart. That's the kind of life that God can use. Because listen, if God can trust you to walk by faith and walk with a promise in your heart, guaranteed he can trust you with his plan when it comes time to give you that. Now, here's the fourth and final thing. How do we actually live this out? Because if God really wants us to trust him like this, how can we actually know that that he'll be there when we need to take that next step? Because honestly, that's where fear comes from, right? That that's the fear. Is he gonna be there? Is he gonna come through? You know, what if I step out and and and God doesn't show up? Well, listen, for me, that question really changed everything uh once I understood the meaning behind one of God's most powerful names in the Old Testament, and that's Jehovah Jirah. And that's kind of where I want to dive in next because most of us know that name is, you know, the God who provides, God our provider, right? And that is absolutely true. But if you dig a little deeper in the meaning, the actual meaning is a lot richer than that. See, the the Hebrew idea behind Jehovah Jirah actually carries the sense that I'm the God who sees and provides. In other words, because he sees, that's why he provides. I mean, think about that for just a minute. God doesn't just provide because he suddenly notices, oh gosh, they need this. No, he provides because he already saw it coming before you ever got there. And that's exactly what happened all through the God's word. Think about Abraham, right? I mean, God already had the ram on the mountain before Abraham ever started climbing.

Jehovah Jireh And The Next Step

SPEAKER_00 13:57

Abraham discovered God's provision that was already there. God wasn't discovering Abraham's need. It didn't take him off guard. He already knew. And listen, that's true for your life and my life too. God already sees your tomorrow. He already knows the open door, the opportunity you'll need, the relationship that you'll need, the wisdom and knowledge that you'll need, the provision and encouragement that you need. And listen, he's not taken off guard or surprised by any of that. Why? You know why? Because he's there, already there. He sees the beginning from the end. I mean, that's why Jesus could say with complete certainty, don't worry about tomorrow. Not because tomorrow is not sometimes scary or doesn't matter, but because why? Because your father's already there. He's already seen, he already knows what you need, Jesus said, before you ask him. I mean, think about that. That is so important. He, he knows, not, you know, he'll eventually figure it out if I if I pray hard enough. No, he knows the full picture of where you are and what you need. And see, this is why this is so important for us as artists that are walking with him. It means that the pressure isn't on you to figure out your entire life and and to solve everything in your calling. The pressure isn't on you to predict the future and make all the right choices. The the pressure isn't on you to even hear God in perfectly every single day, right? The responsibility for you and for me is to simply walk faithfully with him, with the one who's already gone before us. I mean, I think that's probably why Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1, 3, and 4 that we already have everything that we need for life and godliness through through what? Through his precious promises. Because he loves us. I mean, think about that. Everything that we need already given to us, already ours, not someday, but already ours. I mean, listen, that is huge. That doesn't mean that you've already experienced everything, but it does mean that your father has already made everything, every provision that you'll ever need, already available to you so that you can be who he's created you to be as you faithfully walk with him. And guess what? As you do that, he reveals it by the Holy Spirit, one step at a time, and that's how we grow with him, and that's how we mature in him, and that's how we walk into every good thing that he has for us as artists in his kingdom. Now, one caveat as we're kind of bringing this thing in for a landing, I don't want you to ever think that we're not supposed to ask God questions, right? David inquired of the Lord. We're we're supposed to be asking the Lord. But the the issue, I think, for all of us is where is that responsibility? Is it on us to try to figure it out? Is it on us to be like, God, you got to give me this right now? Or I'm just in, I'm just on hold, I'm just on pause. Is it the enemy attacking us when we feel like we're asking, but we're not getting anything? Are we are we actually coming into agreement with the enemy, believing that we're out of God's will, God doesn't love us, we're on the wrong path, we're we're never gonna get it. He's left us, all the kind of stuff. No, we ask, of course, we ask. We ask in faith, but at the same time as we're asking, we're holding the promise, right? We're holding these two things in tension. And we can say, you know what, Lord, I'm asking and I'm believing and I'm seeing the vision you put on my heart

Asking God While Trusting

SPEAKER_00 17:18

and I'm doing all the stuff. But at the same time, I release that into the promise that you love me, that you've called me for good things, that you're gonna lead me and direct me and walk with me. And Lord, whether it's you giving me the answer that I'm looking for in the time frame that I think I need, or you're just calling me deeper into relationship with you to walk with you, even when it seems dark and foggy and not like I know what's going on. Lord, either way, it's not gonna shake my belief in you. It's not gonna shake my trust in you. It's not gonna shake and mess up the foundation that I have in you because I know that whether I can see it or I can't see it, whether I got an answer or I don't have an answer, you who began a good work in me is faithful to complete it even until the day of Christ Jesus. And whether it comes now or whether it comes later in this form or that form, I know that you're gonna have your way in me because I'm your son, I'm your daughter, and you love me. And that changes everything. You know, for years, so many of us have thought our biggest question was, God, what do you want me to create? I gotta get it right. I don't want to do it wrong. But I'm just convinced now, knowing what God's shown me, that there is a better question. And the question is, Father, who are you inviting me to become today as I create with you? Listen, I believe God cares much more that we create than what we create. It's not about the thing, right? I mean, get don't misunderstand me, right? If you've been watching this channel, you know I believe excellence matters, craftsmanship matters, stewarding our gifts uh matters. But I don't think God is up there sitting in heaven obsessing whether you're painting a landscape or a portrait or making a sculpture. I mean, whether you write the book or that book, whether you're weaving a basket or whether you're making a mug or a piece of pottery. Listen, what he cares about, listen to me, what he cares about is that you're becoming the

A Better Question For Artists

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kind of person who faithfully shows up to do what he's created you to do, who listens to his voice, who responds in faith, who trusts, who creates out of love and faith instead of fear, who creates with him instead of merely trying to perform for him. Because listen, your art is not just the product, the byproduct, right? It's the the overflow of your relationship with him. And and more importantly, your art is one of the primary places where God forms your heart as you make it. I mean, every time you walk in the studio, you've got another opportunity to trust him, to risk, to step out, to listen, to respond, to partner with him and to discover him, not just his plan or the answers to your question. Friend, that's why I really believe becoming the artist that God created you to be isn't about getting all the right answers from God in the time frame that we wanted. It's about becoming the kind of person who can faithfully walk with him wherever he leads, whenever he leads. And here's the beautiful thing as you become that person, you'll probably discover that a lot of the answers that you were chasing along the way just start showing up naturally in your life. Or maybe they don't even matter as much anyway. Not because you finally figured everything out, but because you learned how to faithfully walk with the one who had already figured everything out from the beginning. Again, the goal of becoming the artist that God created you to be isn't getting all the answers from God. It's becoming the kind of son and daughter who can faithfully walk with him wherever he leads. Because once you learn to walk with him, the answers have an amazing way of finding you exactly when you need them. And listen, friend, that's that really is at the core of why I created the Thriving Christian Artist Pathway. Because over the last 15 years of mentoring, again, thousands of artists all over the world, I've realized that most artists don't need just another random marketing strategy, another tactic, another, another YouTube video on what's going to sell my art today. You know, what they need is a biblical framework for walking with God, learning to hear his voice and walk with him in the context of their art journey. And that's exactly what the Thriving Christian Artists Pathway is designed to do. It helps artists align their identity in Christ, learn to create with God, build genuine, authentic relationships with people that lead to sales, and help you confidently grow into the artist that God has created you to be, all while taking the journey with other artists. Listen, if that's what you're looking for in your journey, I'd love for to invite you to join us. You can find a link, like I said earlier, right here in the description below. And

Invitation And Closing

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I hope you'll take time to check that out and join us inside the Thriving Christian Artist Pathway and our coaching community. All right. Listen, my friend, it's always a joy to have you here. It's a privilege for me to have you listening and receiving. I hope what you feel like is the word of the Lord for your life and for your art journey. Uh, be sure to like and subscribe, do all the stuff. Leave me a comment. Let me know what part of this video really meant a lot to you. If you got a friend or some friends, maybe a group on social media, you think, hey, everybody needs to hear this. This is so important. Please take a moment and share it with them, maybe through email or text or social media. Let them know that what I'm doing over here on the Thriving Christian Artist is a blessing to you and could be a blessing to them as well. All right. Again, I love you, friend. Thanks for being here. And remember, till next time, you were created to thrive. Bye.