Back to Basics
Thursday, January 10, 2008
“The Best Laid Plans…”
9We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9 NLT
Today’s Scripture reminds us that God is ultimately in charge of our lives. While that may seem obvious, many of us live most of the time as if we are in charge of our lives, or as if no one is in charge rather than as if God is in charge! At the end of the day, our best laid plans may or may not come to reality. Some of us will find that we have planned our work and worked our plan—with little of the results for which we had hoped and prayed. What then? Then we realize that God is the one who is in charge. When bad things happen to us, God is aware of them. He has protected us in those situations, and even if the result is illness, or death God will preserve us for eternity. When we take an eternal perspective on our lives, our plans often change, as well as our understanding of what is “best” for us. So often, we think we know what is best for us, when the reality is that only God knows what is best for us. He sees the end of things from their beginning. We don’t. Thus, if we make our plans, and then determine to let the Lord determine or order our steps, our lives will be significantly more meaningful and fuller, than if we think that we must control our destinies. When we plan, we must always take into account that our knowledge is incomplete, while God’s is complete. That means that we plan and start to carry out what we believe is God’s plan, and then we adjust along the way knowing that God is directing our steps. When the plans “come together” we must praise God for His goodness and guidance, and when they “fall apart,” we must still praise God for his goodness and guidance. In the end God’s will cannot be defeated. Thus, the cross of Calvary, which seemed to be the ultimate defeat of God and goodness, ended up being the vehicle God used to bring salvation to us all. From the perspective of Good Friday, the cross was a “failure,” but from the perspective of Easter morning it was the greatest of all successes. That’s why it’s important for us to LET God order our steps!
Questions and Comments for Reflection and Action:
What is going on in your life right now that seems as if God is NOT determining your steps? Take some time to lay it before the Lord, and ask Him whether you are on the wrong path, or whether you need to persevere in Him!
What areas in your life right now do you need to plan with a realization that God is in charge?