Life is full of choices and decisions: They make us or break us, When we make a mistake in planning, it affects not only us, but also all those with whom we relate , Parents bad planning impact's their Family, Manager’s bad planning impact's the Institution they work for, Pastor’s bad planning impacts the Congregation, Administrator’s bad planning impacts a whole city / country. Wrong choices lead to confusion and chaos — at times irreversible damage.
For God’s people (Who are under Salvation), the choice is not between “good” and “bad” - but “good” and “better.”. Salvation means coming under a “New Owner(Christ)” - Christ is received not only as our “Saviour” but also our “Lord.” Our planning should be according to God’s will, doing God’s will is not an earthly option, but an eternal obligation.
Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) 'Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord ’s purpose that prevails. '
Many times we fail, only God’s plan succeeds. As we misunderstand God’s will with our Plans and say it was God’s plan.
God had a predestined plan (also called Perfect will) for each of us, but its revealed only to us at the right time when we follow the word of God
Deuteronomy 29:29 (NIV) 'The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.'
With God planning so much for us, why do we humans fail many times and why do some succeed ? The answer to the question lies on 2 common mistakes we make
Don’t plan and come to God asking for endorsement
God wants our plans to be “better & best” Plans, but what we tend to do is. We plan for our life events / desires and come to God asking for a endorsement of our plan. God will not endorse our plan to say that’s his plan. A Biblical example of this is there in Book of Ezekiel 14
Ezekiel 14:1-5 (NIV) 'Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’ '
Here the elders of Israel have set up idols and come to the Prophet to ask for endorsement. But God did not endorse the plan, he gave them warning of the wrath they will experience (Verse 8 to 15)
When you read the Ezekiel to current context of our times - “the idols” can be substituted with our desires, which we admire and our plans we devise.
God will not endorse your plan, he will let it go according to your plan (”free will”), most of the time these plans tend to deviate from God’s plan as the plan is from our Self desires “free will”
When we do this God gives way to his “Permissive will” - We fail to Obey the will of God, due to the “free will” we have - we choose to do opposite to his will, we end up sinning against God, God uses that situation to lend his hand to turn back to his will because he does not want his children to keep sinning. Isaiah 30:1 (NIV) - '“Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the Lord , “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; '
Secret Plans fail
Many of us have our Secret desires that hinder us from finding God’s perfect will. We feel we can hide our motives and thoughts to God and do things in secret
Isaiah 29:15 (NIV) 'Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord , who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” '
Bible tells “Woe to those” - It means the people who do that type of action will suffer a great deal of unhappiness.
There is nothing that can be hidden from God - Hebrews 4:13 (NIV) 'Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. '
We may plan many but noting can prevail against God - Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) 'Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord ’s purpose that prevails. '
How do we get our Plans right ?
So does this mean we cannot have our desires ? how do we know our desires are in alignment to God’s will, The answer to that question lies in the definition of God’s will
Deuteronomy 29:29 (NIV) 'The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.'
It will be revealed to us if we follow the words of the law. Follow by what God guides you to do. Each of us have a unique plan by God, he will revel that one step at a time. Thats why its important to stay connected with God every day to know his plan.
Jesus demonstrated how to align to God’s will in his prayers in Mount of Olives Luke 22:42-46 (NIV) '“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
Here are the series of things for us learn from Jesus
Jesus prayed to the Father “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Next “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him”
Next “being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
Next he says to his disciples “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” ' the temptation he refers to the free will desires we have that we get tempted to.
So we may have many desires, but its ok to tell to God that I have these desires in my heart by praying to him. Ask him to do according to your will. When we do that kind of prayer from our heart, he will burn down all the desires that does not come from God. 1 Corinthians 3:15 (NIV) 'If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. ', we will be saved from the failures that await us due to our self desires.
When you walk with the Lord every day by reading his word and obeying to what he tells you, he will guide you with his will Philippians 2:13 (NIV) - 'for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. '
When you have desires come to you, test to see if its God’s will and commit to him, he will lead according to his will - Psalms 37:5 (NIV) - 'Commit your way to the Lord ; trust in him and he will do this: '
Only the word of God can confirm us if we are walking according to his will. God will speak thru his word (Knowledge / Wisdom) and guide you thru (understanding that the spirit gives us) . Colossians 1:9-10 (NIV) 'For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, '
When you have desires come to you ask yourself these questions —
Do I really need more of this ?
Has this desire been told to God in Prayer ?
Will I need to sacrifice my devotional time and family time for this desire?
Will this desires cause a sin if I violate from God’s will and add “Sin to Sin” Isa 30:1
Once you start planning your life like this, all the plans will be committed to the Lord and his plans will succeed. Psalms 103:21 (NIV) - 'Praise the Lord , all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. '
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