Proverbs 16:20
It pays to take life seriously; things work out when you trust in God.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
We are fast approaching Graduation Day for a lot of people… and the pervading question seems to be, “What are you going to do after graduation?” Sadly, the response from several is, “I don’t know.” For some, this simply means… “I have several colleges who want me,” or “I have a few job offers and haven’t decided which one to accept.” But for others, it truly means, “I have no plan.”
Let’s get real… everybody needs a plan. It may be somewhat vague… or as in the case of retirees like me, the plan may be to “piddle” the day away… but we all need some semblance of a plan. Flying by the seat of your pants just will not cut it!
“But wait!” you may say… “Doesn’t this passage say that things work out when you trust in God?” Absolutely – and yes, they do! But let’s look at this verse in another translation… the King James Version says, “He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.” In other words, you can trust God to work out things in your life… if and when you handle them wisely… and that means you have to have a plan!
Now, God may help you with this plan… and He certainly should be consulted. But if you find yourself saying, “I don’t have a clue where I am headed or what I want to do with the rest of my life”… especially if you are under the age of 40… you need to get busy asking God to help you figure out a plan! If you want to experience the blessings and continual presence of God in your life, you need to ask for His guidance, and then follow His lead.
I know that plans can be confusing… and yes… plans can be changed! I planned to teach school for my entire career… but God had other ideas. Someone stopped me just last week and said, “Thank you for being obedient. Thank you for listening when God moved you out of one career and into another. Because you listened, He used you to bless thousands of people.” And on days when I now think that maybe I should spend the time and energy it takes to write devos on something else, God sends me words of encouragement from those who read them… and assurances that I am right where He wants me to be!
What do you plan to do with the next week of your life… the next year? You don’t have to know the details of every minute of the day… but God will give you a rough idea. And as long as you are paying attention and following His lead, you will always be in perfect harmony with His plans for your life… and adaptable as He moves you from one place to another. You can trust God to work out the intricate details… the “hows and whys” – if you are taking things seriously along the way and doing your part.
So I have to ask… what are your plans? Who is guiding your steps and working things out for you these days? Are you taking things seriously? Shouldn’t you?
©2011 Debbie Robus
(Scripture taken from the King James Version, 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States. To read this passage from The Message, go to www.biblegateway.com and do a passage lookup.)
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