Planning – Proverbs 16:1-3,9

Author Pam Didner has some insightful ideas about the difference between plans and planning. She defines plans as “steps with details of timing and resources used to achieve an objective.” Planning is “in our DNA,” she says, and is “an active way of discussing the goals, objectives, strategies, and tasks that we need to accomplish.” But, she writes, “Since things change, plans need to get updated on a regular basis.” Scripture has some insights about planning, as well.

The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit.

Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16:1–3,9, ESV)

Has your life turned out the way you planned it? Of course we recognize that we are not in control of life so we do not expect that what we planned will always come about. Perhaps some of us have not planned at all. But because we are made in the image of the purposeful God we too have a yearning to plan for the future.

From God’s perspective there are several key things we need to focus on as we plan:

There is nothing wrong in and of itself with planning. As the proverbs recognize, this is our heart, our way. We are made to be planners. No doubt much of that is from an attempt to control the outcome of our lives, desiring to secure the future for our good, not evil. But that is why it is also important that…
Our motives for our plans are judged by God. It may seem to us that our motives are pure but God has a way of showing us whether that is true or not. David (2 Samuel 6) seemed pure of heart as he planned for the ark of the covenant to come up to Jerusalem, but when a man was killed for touching the ark David’s anger showed his motives were more selfish than he imagined.
If our plans coincide with godliness Yahweh is inclined to establish them. When our goals match up with His we can expect our plans to succeed. But finally…
God is the ultimate determiner of our plans. We yield to His sovereignty in all things and remember that His purposes, though inclusive of blessing for us, are always part of the bigger picture for what He is doing in the world and subject to His direction. If we know that He is good and His plans are good, then even the painful and sorrowful parts of our lives have meaning and purpose in the bigger scheme of things.

About the Author Randall Johnson

A full-time pastor since 1979, Randall originally graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM) in 1979 and from Reformed Theological Seminary (DMin) in 1998. He is married with four grown children and a pile of epic grandchildren.

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