Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [143] God Decides!

                

Our Plans

Many years ago, my wife and I were seeking God's will for our lives. We thought we had found his plans. We were asked to help church plant in a city in England. The finances were available, so we visited the town and started to do some background research. We prayed and eventually our hearts were at peace.

We went house hunting and found a suitable one - and have you ever done this? - we moved into the house in our minds' eye! Shut my eyes and I can see the house even now!

But then, all of a sudden, without any warning at all, and mysteriously, the plug was pulled on the finances. That was the end of our plans. We were shocked and surprised and confused! But I don't remember being devastated and I hope you'll see why.

The outcome of that planning "failure" was that we moved to Worcester where we have now served the Lord happily for many long and years.

God's Plans

Our short memory verse today is:

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." (Proverbs 16:90

The Lord wants us to plan, for he is a great planner himself. He planned the creation of the world over six days in a masterful way and he planned salvation over centuries.

So there is nothing wrong or sinful about making prayerful plans. Indeed to live from day to day without any plans, would be negligent for the Lord has given us minds that are able to look to the future.

Not to plan would be to refuse to steward the gift of foresight.

But this is where our plans must be so different from the world's.

Deo Volente

Older church signs often advertised their worship times followed by the letters "DV", which stand for the Latin words Deo Volente, "If God wills." These signs were a humble reminder that we might make our plans but it is the Lord who makes the final decisions.

And earlier this year for the first time - perhaps with the exception of the world wars - those signs spoke: the churches could not meet together at the stated times on Sunday: the Lord had other sovereign plans.

When we make plans we must always hold them lightly. We must always take into account that the Lord might radically change them.

If we do not think like that we will - for sure - one day become very disappointed and even disillusioned.

Summing it Up

When our plans to church plant in one city were changed, it was no big deal. Sure we were disappointed, but not devastated. We knew that the Lord often leads through winding paths (winding, that is to our own minds not to his mind).

Let us hold all our plans lightly, and remember when things turn out very differently, that the plans of the Lord are always much wiser and better than ours.

A SONG FOR THE DAY
Our song for the day is a great prayer for guidance. The hymn writer remembers how the Lord led Israel through a barren wilderness with a pillar of cloud and fire. And how he provided water for them - "the crystal fountain!"

Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.

Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell's Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.

William Williams

Sing along HERE.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our Father in Heaven,

We thank you that all your plans are perfect. We thank you for the way you led your people through the desert with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.

We thank you that you still lead your people. Help us to make prayerful plans that line up with your Word, and then help us to hold on to them lightly, knowing that your perfect plans may lead us in a very different direction.

We ask you to make us more and more humble each day, and more reliant on your will.

For we ask this in Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Photo by Vladislav Babienko on Unsplash