My Brilliant Plan

I'm a planner.

I like to think ahead, arrange things, organize items into neat little compartments, and then sit back assured that everything will go smoothly because I planned ahead.

More often than not, though, my well thought out plans get altered at the last minute or thrown out altogether. Life has a way of coming in and doing away with plans.

Some people like to "plan" their faith. They know ahead of time how much money they're willing to give, how many hours they're willing to serve, who they won't show love to, how much time they're willing to sit in service...

They even do the same thing to God directly. They "plan" what part of their lives they're going to give to the Lord, they direct how God is going to use them, they set up their own plans of how their prayers will be answered and how their breakthroughs will come.

I'm so glad the Lord doesn't care one bit about our "plans." God has a way of stepping in and "messing up" all of our well-laid intentions. He has a way of entering into a situation and turning around to a totally different outcome.

And everything He touches turns to gold.

I'm sure the disciples had plans for their lives. They had already started walking down their paths. They were fishermen, tax collectors, and businessmen. They were already providing for their families and living out what they had determined was going to be their lot.

Yet, two words from Jesus put all their plans to an end: "Follow me." With those two words, all twelve disciples dropped what they were doing, put their plans to the side, and followed Jesus for the rest of their lives. And we all know what glorious examples they turned out to be.

I'm not saying it's bad to plan. It's always smart to have something together so life won't catch you unawares. What I am saying is to always make sure that the Lord has top billing, make sure He has the final say so over any plan you might make. If He comes in and wants to change up the show, your best move is to follow His directions.

Maybe right now the Lord is asking you to do something that doesn't quite fit into your game plan. Maybe it's something you've never seen yourself doing, or it involves doing something that you don't quite think you can do. But if God is asking you, why not trust in His sovereign wisdom and step out in faith? The worst thing that could happen...? Your life could become a shining example of God's miraculous power.

Verse of the Day: The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes. But the LORD’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. What joy for the nation whose God is the LORD, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance. Psalm 33:10-12