Pondering A Plan That Will Stick

Picture it with me. You’re laying in bed, or driving in the car…cooking or cleaning, exercising, whatever you do when you stew…and you can’t stop thinking about that circumstance, conflict or decision.

You think about it in hundreds of different ways. What if I did this? No, that wouldn’t be good, because then “that” would happen. Okay, so what if I asked her to talk to so-and-so…but then I’m involving someone else, and she might think bad of me. But if I do this, something will fall through at home or work. I know, I’ll tell him one thing in hopes that it might lead to the other thing.

And we just. keep. going. Plotting, stirring, stewing…on and on…coaxing with God one minute, then working to solve the equations ourselves the next minute. Maybe it’s because we’re weary of waiting, maybe it’s a habit, maybe we believe that God helps those who help themselves, and He gave us marbles, so we best use them or lose them.

Whatever the case, the Lord was ready and waiting for my attention this morning so that He could deliver a message to me from His Word. I immediately wrote it on a sticky note and slapped it on my forehead. ;0

“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.” Proverbs 21:30

Yea, um. That’s pretty clear with the three “nos” in there. I learned several things in the moments my heart was open:

• *We can’t outwit God. Yes, it’s fine for us to think through a situation, but it’s not fine for us to take matters into our own hands. He sees the whole thing. He sees ahead. He knows what needs doing. We can whole-heartedly, undoubtedly, unmistakably rely on Him to guide our decisions as we trust Him with the faith He’s given us. He’ll continue to teach us about surrendered, Spirit-filled living, and we’ll think differently as a result.
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• *We can’t always depend on others to counsel us. Often the second place we turn after stewing is to friends or family. While the Lord will sometimes use those relationships to guide us, sometimes He doesn’t, especially when we don’t consult Him first. Another reason to wait and rely upon Him. As we do so, He will lead us to phone a friend, or even better, He’ll lead them to phone us. (love it when that happens). ;)
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• *How do we know when our thoughts or the counsel of others is in line with the Lord’s? When it falls in line with His Truth. If we are manipulating a person or situation to get our way, it’s not from Him (1 Cor. 13:5). If we are losing sleep or being driven to drink/eat, etc, or having physical symptoms of any kind from worry, it’s not from Him. (Luke 12:25). If what another person tells us leads us to think ourselves better than another or more entitled and deserving than ever before, it’s not from Him. (Philip. 2:3)
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• *Even if we do it the “easy” way, the wrong way, the self-serving way, etc, His plan will still come to fruition. Because He loves us, and because of His grace, He will make His plan, the best plan, succeed in the end. We may have consequences from our folly, but He will still forgive us. We may have to wait longer for the good fruit that comes from fully believing, obeying and depending on Him, but He won’t let the opportunity pass without teaching us something spectacular (if we are open and listening). 

Who'da thunk this passage had so much to teach us? That's His Word. That's our God. He's the kind of Father who loves us enough to instruct us for our own best. He is tall, He is tender, and He is trustworthy...in every slice of life, even the sticky ones. 

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests & challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open & shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature & well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:2-4, The Msg.