Daily Thought for Thursday, November 10th

November 10, 2011

The Modern Day Christian And God’s Plans

Today’s Thought:

“The infirmity of human nature renders all plans precarious in the execution in proportion as they are extensive in the design.” – Jeremy Bentham

Today’s Quotes:

“Strategic planning is worthless – unless there is first a strategic vision.” – John Naisbitt

“He who aims at nothing is sure to hit it.” - Anonymous

Today’s Question:

Are you ever negligent to plan: or worse yet are you ever reluctant to allow God to interrupt, change or alter your plans for His?

Today’s Bible Verses:            Isaiah 55:8-12, Jeremiah 29:11-13  & Proverbs 16:9

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

“The plans are man’s; the odds are God’s.” – Anonymous

We modern day Christians seem to go to one extreme or the other:  either we try to accomplish monumental tasks with no vision or planning or we spend so much time planning we never execute.

Neither of these options is good.

There is a prevailing school of thought that says we should not think about tomorrow; not make plans and we should just go with the flow and see what comes along.  Remember though that God warns; “Where there is no vision, the people perish:…” – The Bible (Proverbs 29:18)

While scripture instructs us not to worry about tomorrow and not to become anxious about what will happen – it never tells us not to have a plan of action.  But it does tell us to be open to allowing God’s Spirit to intervene and alter our plans whenever and where ever His wisdom and His will is better served by us doing things His way rather than ours.

So where does that leave us Modern Day Christians in the whole planning process?

It tells us we need to have a vision: we need to make our plans by prayer and seeking God’s direction for the means and path of execution – while allowing for God’s interruptions and changes when ever they are needed or necessary.

Today’s Prayer:

Father, even when my plans may seem good, may I never forget that your plans are always better.  As I plan to implement the vision I have from you – may I be always flexible to allow for your alterations and adjustments to my plans so that your will can be accomplished maximally.

“God has no problems – only plans.”

- Corrie ten Boom