Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans that I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (NLT)
Every January as a first fruit offering to the LORD, I go on a 21-day fast. I seek direction and God’s will for the coming year. There is always one thing the Lord has me work on. One year was enjoying the present and not worrying about tomorrow; another year He taught me that taking shortcuts is not always good; for the past two years, the lesson has been about how to be a better listener. (That is still a work in progress.)
I’ve never been a goal-oriented person, but this year because there were so many things I wanted to accomplish, I decided to focus on setting goals and making plans to achieve them. Yep, that’s right my goals and my plans.
I heard someone say if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans. That reminded me of several verses of scripture. Proverbs 16:1 “We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer.” (NLT)
“Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the last word.” (MSG)
Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.” (NLT)
The goals I set…not even one was accomplished. My plans have been put on pause because I forgot to focus on what the LORD wanted to teach me. Here we are, at the end of July and the light bulb just came on. I did not commit my actions to Him. I didn’t wait to hear the Lord’s answer in January before making my plans to set goals.
Don’t get me wrong, setting goals and making plans are not wrong, but charging ahead without first laying them before the Lord is wrong. Because of that error, I feel as if I have been spinning my wheels since the last Friday in May. I felt that day as if my apple cart of plans was over turned.
That morning I put on a new outfit, checked myself out in the mirror, I just knew I was cute. I left the house early enough to stop by McDonald’s and get a nice plate of hotcakes. My mind was on those hotcakes while sitting at the stop light, waiting to make a right turn. Before I knew it, a car slammed into me from behind. That morning I ended up taking a trip to the emergency room and since that morning, I’ve felt as if my life has been going sideways.
I confess that I’ve had writer’s block since the accident. I think a part of me has been angry with God for allowing my life to be altered in such a stressful, painful and frustrating way.
While lying in bed yesterday, recuperating from a vicious stomach bug the Lord showed me that my life is not going sideways, it is still heading in the direction He planned. Tonight when I sat at the computer to post something on Facebook I read something that encouraged and inspired me. The block is gone. So, I write.
Psalm 40:5 “O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.” (NLT)
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