The Wisdom of Planning

By Fatoki Ifeoluwa

Devotional Reading: “May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” – Psalms 20:4 NIV

Many believers do not see the need to plan. They often think that since God is in charge of their lives, everything will just fall into place. However, failure to plan would only mean leaving things to chance. We must never forget that God is revealed in the creation account as a planner. The orderliness observed during creation could only have been possible because God planned it out. Scriptures affirm that “known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18).

The progression of the theme of scripture, which culminated in the revelation of Jesus Christ also serves to reveal our God as a planner. We must also recall that the men who lived in the times of the Bible had plans. In the first encounter of God with Moses, God gave him the plan to lead Israel out of Egypt. Same was true for Joshua, Nehemiah and others. In fact, when Jesus fed the multitude, His plan to that effect was passed in His instructions to His disciples.

Many believers cannot reconcile planning with trusting, and it is quite true that the tension between planning and trusting is real. However, God wants us to plan. First, we must accept His plan for us; and then, we must work towards it. More so, God, through the Holy Spirit in us, reveals things to come to us, so that we can be adequately prepare for it. And one way to prepare is to plan.

Planning helps us to stay ahead of the curve. It also helps us to maximize the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Planning helps us to know when, how, and where to do what. We must never forget that the Holy Spirit is with us, let us then go forth in His wisdom and counsel to make appropriate plans for the coming days.

Prayer and Confession
Dear Father, please guide me to make plans that will set me on the path of advantage in life, Amen.

Further Reading: Genesis 41:25-36