Thursday, April 1, 2021

Making Plans - Martin Wiles

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3 NLT

As the weekend neared, my nervousness intensified. What if I forgot something? Something important. And, of course, watching two shows about bear attacks didn’t help.

When my daughter was younger, we backpacked and day-hiked regularly, but then life happened. She got older, left for college, got a job, had two kids, and took on other responsibilities. Our days of hiking and backpacking disappeared … almost.

But one weekend encapsulated her delayed Christmas present to me … by seven months. She wanted to take me on a weekend backpacking trip. As the weekend approached, I busied myself planning what we would need. When we hiked regularly, planning came naturally. Although she was young, and I was nervous about protecting her, I hardly had to think about what we needed. Packing became second nature. But years had passed. I made a list … and then another one … and then another. I was sure when we got into the car to leave—or when we got to our campsite—I would remember something I didn’t bring.

The writer of Proverbs gives a simple yet complicated formula for our plans to succeed: commit them to God.

Committing our actions to the Lord entails remembering that my plans are not my plans after all. If so, they’ll probably fail. My plans should reflect the plans God already has for me. My job requires determining God’s plans so I can align mine with His. God says the plans He has for His children are for their good, not their disaster.

Making those plans requires familiarity with God’s Word, prayer, and communication with other spiritually-minded people. God’s Word never leads us astray, and prayer provides the means whereby we interact with God’s Spirit, who knows the mind of Christ. Hundreds of books, videos, and articles exist that might also provide good advice for our planning, but only if they are based on the principles of God’s Word.

Time has a way of slipping by … of passing quickly as we get older. I discovered this when I thought about how long it had been since my daughter and I had backpacked. That’s when I realized I only have enough time in life to follow God’s plan.

Ask God what His plans are for your life. Then let Him help you plan out His plan.

Prayer: Father, give us guidance so that the plans we make will align with Your plans.

Tweetable: With what in mind do you make plans?


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