DAILY DEVOTIONAL – June 7, 2021

“A Man and His Plan”

Prayer: Jesus, You have prevailed over sin, death, and the Devil through Your death and resurrection.  We have every reason to trust You with everything.  Help us Lord, to do that.  Amen.

Scripture: Proverbs 16:9

The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps.

Devotional – “A Man and His Plan”

We love to make plans don’t we?  On the one hand, we should make plans and we should be responsible, organized, and intentional about our life.  Proverbs 14:15 says, “The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.”  1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, “Test everything; hold fast what is good.”  Now, while Scripture does encourage us to use the brain God graciously gave us and to do everything in our God-given capacity to be responsible and plan, Scripture never calls us, teaches us, or tells us to rely on our plans or to put them ahead of walking by faith alone in Jesus and His Word.  When we do, there are no doubt going to be consequences.  God gave Adam and Ever a clear direction.  They chose to take their own path.  You know how that ended.  Abraham believed the promise of God to give him a land and a son even in his old age, but, when the promise of God wasn’t fulfilled according to Abram’s timeline, he and Sarah chose to take matters into their own hands.  The result was willful adultery and a broken home.  King Saul chose his own plans over the Word of God given to Him by the prophet Samuel, the result was Saul’s decay into insanity.  Judas Iscariot and the Temple authorities that they knew the king and Messiah God should give them, and the result was that they killed the One He did send; the only One that could save them.

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

– Prov 19:21

Through His suffering, death, and resurrection, and through His victory over sin, despite the wicked scheming of wicked men and the Devil’s best efforts, Jesus has proven that His good and gracious will, will be done; His plans will prevail and they have prevailed!  The victory is won for you and me.  The grave is defeated.  Christ has Risen, and with Him, Scripture says you, and I, and everyone who puts their faith in Christ has also already been raised to life.

The Good News of the Gospel is that we don’t have to rely on our plans for tomorrow, we can rely on God’s plan for our eternal salvation that has already prevailed in Jesus.  Only then are we free to live in the fullness of joy and peace that Christ has promised is ours today.

Whatever your plans are my friends, make them in the Word of God, make them in diligent prayer, seeking His gracious will, and make your plans remembering the Words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Thanks for joining me for another time in daily devotion in God’s Word, and remember, that God has forgiven yesterday, is with you today, and has already taken care of tomorrow.  Amen.