Daily Thought for Tuesday May 3rd

May 3, 2011

The Best Laid Plans

“In the book of life’s questions, the answers are not in the back.”

-  Charles Schulz

Today’s Thought:

“The art of living lies not in eliminating but in growing with troubles.” – Bernard M. Baruch

Today’s Question

Are you aware that, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray?” – Robert Burns

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward:

you can only connect them looking backwards.

So you have to trust {have faith}

 that the dots will somehow

connect in your future.”

- Steve Jobs

“Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee...”

- The Bible (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

God has a plan for each of us.  Often our plans and His plans do not run on parallel planes, in short, often they are at odds with each other.  But rest assured, His plans are always superior to yours or mine.

We, as Christians sometimes get so involved in executing what we perceive to be the best plans that we sometimes miss the leading of God. 

God does tell us that we will perish if we have no vision; but in having a vision we must remain open to allowing God to direct, lead and change things when and where necessary, Remember, He can see beyond the moment we are in where we can’t.

There is no sin in planning but it is a good idea to keep plans flexible and pliable.  I like to say when it comes to planning: Blessed are the flexible for they shall accomplish the work of God.

Jeremy Bentham wrote, “The infirmity of human nature renders all plans precarious in the execution.”

The truth for us in this is simple, we must walk by faith, not by sight; we must trust in the One who knows us best and desires the best things for us; and we must be open to allowing him to alter our course if adjustments or changes are needed.

The best way to succeed in life is to live each day God’s way and sometimes that means not living it our way.  Plan for each day but let each days plans be subject to God’s editing.

Today’s Verses:

Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

Isaiah 44:24

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

                        Matthew 6:25-34

Today’s Prayer:

Father, all my plans and schemes mean nothing if you are not in them, so help me to remember my plans need to always be subject to your final approval.