The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Proverbs 16:9
I learned quickly to use a planner and calendar when I started college. High school wasn’t so bad, but in college, I had so many more things I had to do that I could not function without a calendar. It was a “book” style calendar that was about the size of a typical book you might read. There were sections for events, items needed, times, goals, and contacts. It was nearly impossible to keep all of those things those cell phones because those things were the size of a credit card, they flipped open, and the keyboards were too small for my fat fingers. So I was left with the over-sized planner.
I was the king of the planner. It went everywhere I went so that when I made plans, I quickly wrote them down so I would not forget. Anyone else do the planner thing? It became a real chore.
But without it, I could not function. Meticulous planning and follow-through saved my college years. But, I say all of that to say this. We can make all the plans in the world, but where does the Lord claim His part in our plans? Do we consult Him? Do we listen to His still small urging for us to do the things He desires for us?
Plans are made by man
Plans are indeed essential for us to make. Without plans, we are without plans. No, this isn’t a devotional on organizational skills. These thoughts should cause us to think about How we make plans, not IF we make plans.
We should know the importance of making plans. But the real question in this verse to us is, Who do we consult when making plans. Are we using the wisdom God gave us to make those decisions and plans? I’m going to buy this item or that item, this car or that car, this house or that house, start this career or that
career. But when we fail to consult the Lord with our plans, we fail to realize His sovereignty.
Plans are ordered by God
God orders our steps. He puts us in places where He wants us to be so that we can make the most significant difference for Him if we are obedient and take advantage of where He places us. Some people view God as Someone who created the heavens and earth, set things into motion, and then left man on his own. I just don’t believe that. God filled Scripture with many examples of His power to move people into places where He desires.
That is why we must consult Him on every decision we make. Think about it. He is our Father. He cares deeply for us and desires for us to experience success on His terms.
His unwavering care for us begs the question. Why would God allow us to continue to make poor decisions that eventually cause us harm or failure? It is because we fail to seek Him in the planning process. We shut Him out of our plans and assume He will give us the desires of our hearts. The truth is that He gives us the desires of His heart. Our lives are not only a reflection of God but also a demonstration of God to move the chess pieces of our lives around in such a way that he really does order our plans and cause good things to happen.
So how are you doing consulting God with your plans? Our best plans happen when we diligently consult God through the process. Pray today that God would lead you to good decision-making and calm your spirit through the planning process.