Successful Planning

Proverbs 15:22 - Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.

We aren't meant to do this (life) on our own, or figure everything out by ourselves.  Seeking wise counsel before decisions is the best way to achieve the success God has planned for us.

I don't know about you, but I find that more and more, I need advice.  I used to believe that I was smart enough to figure anything out if I spent enough time on it.  Fortunately, I finally realized that I didn't know what I was talking about when I would tell myself that.

The first place I go when I am struggling with a decision, is to God in prayer.  In Proverbs 16:9, Solomon tells us that we can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.  Here's the kicker, God has already determined the steps we should take before we have ever taken them or asked Him about them.  In order to make sure we are following them, we need to ask Him.  Now the question becomes, "What if He doesn't answer?"  Well that depends on a couple of things.

Are you asking for your will to be done or His?  In your prayers are you saying, "God I really want this promotion (or whatever), can You make it happen for me?"  What if that's not His will for you?  Maybe follow up that last question with, "I want Your will to be done."  Asking God if He can do something is like asking the sun if it can be hot.  Of course it can be hot, but do you always want it to be hot?

God also doesn't necessarily answer us the way we always expect.  When we ask someone a question, a majority of the time, that person comes back with the answer, and usually right away.  God doesn't always speak directly to people in some still soft voice, or a loud booming one either.  Sometimes, He will show us the answer in His Word.  That's usually how He communicates with me.  Other times He will give His answer to other people to communicate it for Him.  I'm not saying He doesn't communicate to us directly, I am just saying not always.

When I am struggling with finding an answer to something, if I haven't found it in God's Word, I will seek out a couple of Godly people that I know, and see what they think.  This is very much out of my comfort zone, because I have always believed that no person knows what is good for me better than myself.  Fortunately, I realized that I didn't know what I was talking about when I would tell myself that too.  One of the things God wants for us, is to step out of our comfort zones and trust in Him more.  I have been working on this for myself, and I feel I have made some progress.  The advice I have sought from other people has always been right on, so I know that God is using them to show me that I can and should trust Him more.

That's where we need to start when making plans.  Trust God, and He will guide our steps the way He always intended for us to be successful in what we are doing.  When that happens, we have to be sure we give Him the glory, because we don't have any successful planning outside of His will.

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me to trust You more.  I am so grateful that I have learned, and still am learning, to step out of my comfort zones and into the arms of the One who has loved me forever.  I trust You will always guide me down the path I need to be on that will bring glory to You and Your Kingdom.  I pray for those that struggle with this.  I know it's not easy stepping out of that comfort zone.  My prayer is that they will take that first small step of faith, so that they will see that You will never let them down as You have always promised.  In Jesus' name, Amen!



God Bless!!!