Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Planning”
Our Bible verse for today: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “We should make plans.”
September is the beginning of the fiscal year for most churches. The summer is over, children and college students are back to school, most people in the congregation are done traveling, and everyone is settling down to begin both a new academic year and a new church year. So this is the time of year that many new plans are put into action.
Planning can sometimes be something of a conundrum for Christians. On the one hand, we know that God is sovereign over the affairs of our lives and that He has a good plan for us. That being the case some Christians believe they can just wander through life willy-nilly, with little planning or initiative on their part, because God already has it all figured out for them.
Others tend to become overly fixated on creating their own plans and once they have those plans developed, they are so obsessive about sticking to them that they leave no room for the Holy Spirit to correct and guide them.
The Biblical truth is that God works in partnership with us. Yes He does have a plan for your life. And yes it is His will that must prevail in our individual lives and in our church lives. But the clear example of Scripture is that God intends for us to use our brains, evaluate situations, consider options, make plans, and get moving – all while praying hard and including Him every step of the way.
Isaiah 30:21 is a case-in-point. Please note that the individual is obviously already in forward motion, doing something and going somewhere. Decisions of some sort have been made and something is happening. Then, as he is moving, the Holy Spirit is whispering, nudging, guiding.
Yes God does have a plan and yes He does have a desired outcome for this individual and for this activity. And so, He provides guidance step-by-step and moment-by-moment but He does it in partnership with the individual as that person is thinking, deciding, and acting.
There’s an old saying that goes, “God gave you a mind, and He doesn’t mind if you use it once in a while.” He gave us a powerful brain that provides us with the unique ability to engage in rational thought, evaluate circumstances, and come to conclusions. He also gave us a free will that enables us to make choices that should please and honor Him.
All this month we will consider the subject of making and carrying out plans, but doing it as an act of faith and in partnership with the Lord. He does have a plan – but so should you. The key is for your plan to be the same as His. We’ll work on that.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 