Oh, how I enjoy making plans. I get that good, responsible adult feeling and it’s simply fun to fantasize about the future. I have to remember even on those Monday morning walks to work when I’m daydreaming happily about the future, that all I really have is right now. The present is so precious and loaded full of God’s goodness, opportunities for growth, and budding friendships.

Also, Josh and I have had plans that have changed almost weekly. I know my dad has tons of Facebook messages from me that give evidence to this. I wouldn’t say that we’re sporadic people, but there have been events that have taken place that neither of us had expected. I believe that there have been times where if we would have stuck to our plan instead of changing it according to new situations and opportunities, we would have actually been outside of the will of God.

I think that in the Book of James when he writes “Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil”(4:13-17), he is speaking of the need to be led by God and willingness to not set our plans in stone. When we are flexible with our plans we put ourselves in a place where we can be led by God and respond in obedience to Him when He speaks to us.

I don’t believe there is anything wrong with making plans. Even God makes plans since Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that he has plans for us. But our well-intentioned plans must not become a substitute for hearing from God.

Sometimes God may change our direction altogether, and he may tell us to do something that seems totally contrary to what we believe He said before. Does this mean we’re hearing from Satan instead? Not all the time. In one of his writings, Pastor Rick Joyner of Morning Star ministries uses a story from Abraham's life to illustrate the importance of continuing to listen to God. In Genesis 22:1-24 Abraham made no hesitation in going about sacrificing his son Isaac when God told him to do so, but just as he was picking up the knife an angel of the Lord told Abraham not to kill Isaac, for this had been a test from God. If Abraham hadn’t continued listening to God even when His instructions changed, he would have killed Isaac. I think one of the lessons that we can glean from this story is that we must continue listening not only to God but also to the guidance of our spiritual authority and Godly people in our lives. By not listening to advice that may oppose what God has said to us, means the possibility of not heeding his further instructions. We must be willing to consider that even though God may be saying something different to us today, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we weren’t hearing Him right before. Perhaps like Abraham He was testing us or providing an opportunity to grow-who knows!

The only thing I really know is that God has plans and I’m so glad for that. I’m glad that I’m not running my own life because I’d surely make a mess of it. What a beautiful, divine realization that God is with us right now in the present, wanting to love on us and be with us. Day by day we can be led by Him even in what seems to be the smallest of decisions, for it is God who knows whether they actually are small or not.
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Comments

GRACE NIXON
05/30/2010 10:38

JENNY, YOUR LETTER IS JUST WONDERFUL. THE LORD SURE HAS BLESSED YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND FOR SURE. MAYBE WHEN I BECOME MORE EFFICENT ON THIS COMP WE CAN TALK MORE. LOVE YOU COMPANY JUST WALKED IN.

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Jenny
05/30/2010 11:39

Thank you, Grace! It seems that you are becoming quite efficient on the computer. That's great. We love you. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. God bless and give Teddy Bear a pet on the head for us!

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