Planning Ahead
Think about your upcoming plans for the day, week, year, and beyond.
Maybe you want to start a business.
Maybe you want to raise a family.
Maybe you want to write a book.
Maybe you want to travel the world.
Maybe you want to start a ministry.
Maybe you want to volunteer in your city.
Maybe you want to plant a garden.
Maybe you want to pay off debt.
Scripture tells us …
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
Proverbs 19:21 NIV
Making plans isn’t a bad thing. In fact, the Bible tells us that we will harvest what we plant (Galatians 6:7), so we should be diligent—not lazy—to wisely prepare for the future. But we must simultaneously hold those plans loosely, because God knows the full picture of our lives.
God is always working in and through His people, giving them the desire and power to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13). But sometimes, we require rerouting. Sometimes what we want isn’t in His plan.
But even when we don’t get what we’ve hoped for, He always has our good and His glory in mind.
Jesus modeled how to surrender His own plans by literally giving His life up for us—for our freedom. And, even though it wasn’t easy, our lives and our futures look different because God’s purpose prevailed.
So today, make a list of some of your plans and dreams. Then hold your hands out in front of you, and visualize giving all of your dreams and plans over to God. Picture all of those plans evaporating from your hands. Then, ask God to show you which plans He wants to give back to you and if there are any new dreams He’s longing for you to receive.
God So Loves You
If you’ve experienced any part of the Bible, you probably know that John 3:16 highlights a vital part of the gospel message…
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 NIV
Think about it:
“For God so loved the world …”
God didn’t merely like the world, but He loved the world. He loved you so much that He created you, made a way for you, and desired a forever relationship with you.
“… that he gave his one and only Son …”
Because of God’s immense love for the world, He gave—generously and sacrificially—His one and only Son … because it’s only through His death that we can have life.
“… that whoever believes in him …”
It’s not enough to know that Jesus existed as a real, historical person—James 2:19 reminds us that even the demons believe that and shudder. Believing in Jesus means we choose to trust Him as Savior and Master...