WHOSE Plan?

How many of you are list makers? You like a plan and you like to stick with it? You set out the day with YOUR plan and check off each item as it is completed. I get that.

How many of you, like me, often make this plan without consulting with our Creator? Who knows the plan and purpose of our day (and life!) better than He does? Sometimes I move into my plan without remembering this!

As I look back over many years of ministry, I see times I pushed my plan through at any cost. Then I remember those times when things weren’t going according to my plan, that I actually stopped and ask God what He was up to and how He wanted this to pan out…for His glory. Oh my goodness, the difference I saw!

When we had planned a large leadership event while I was at LifeWay, the day of the event didn’t go according to plan. In fact, as we were about to step on the platform to begin, there was NO working sound system. Normally I would panic at this point but for some reason, at God’s prompting, I stepped to a room alone to pray and ask God to do what only He could do. And if He didn’t provide sound, to show us how to coordinate this days worship and speakers. As I walked calmly back into the room, the AV guy told me it was now working!

God doesn’t always answer this way…sometimes He answers in a way I would never want or expect, but that is SO much better overall. When we had a training event in another state and there were blizzards across the country, not one box arrived with all our supplies, programs, give aways. Nothing! We conducted that entire event without anything but a reprinted program, courtesy of Kinkos! I have to tell you, that is one of my favorite events. God did so much more with so little than we normally saw at the events where the shipments showed up!

Last week I was reading the chronological Bible plan I am doing, Foundations, F260 written by my pastor and his wife.

I was in 2 Samuel and read the story in chapter 5 of two different battles David and his soldiers fought against the Philistines. God gave two different ways of attack. The first time David asked God if he should attack, God said yes. The second time David ask, He said yes but not to attack from the front. He gave a new strategy which David took and followed. Both attacks ended in victory for the Israelites…because he obeyed the instructions, the plan God gave them.

In my journal that day, I wrote about this and asked God to help me always stop and asked for the plan before I execute it…in all areas of life. Too often, I plan, then pray. Totally backwards, right? Have you ever done that? I’m sure I’m not alone!

Interestingly, my word for Jesus this same week I was focusing on was, “Chief Cornerstone”. The cornerstone is the first and most important stone in any building. Thus, Jesus is the most important part of the building of our lives. If He is in place, it will direct ALL the next steps of building in the direction of that cornerstone. The building will be erected according to His plan and purpose.

I believe David, at least at this point in his leadership, had that right! He asked God to direct next steps and then He obeyed them. Is that the way you plan your day and your life? Is it the way I do it? Unfortunately for me, not always. But I pray that to be my daily goal so that at the end of my life, the building will have been solidly on His foundation.

Two of my verses I am standing on for 2019 are Psalm 16:8…

I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

and Psalm 62:6…

He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

I absolutely love how God is bringing all this together as I’ve claimed this and studied His Word! My prayer is to have such a firm foundation on Him, the solid rock, the chief cornerstone, that daily I will follow His plan, not mine. Do you?

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash