What a great day we had at Liberty on Sunday! We praise God for the grand opening of the York River Campus and for the additional service that launched at Harbour View. What an awesome privilege to be a part of God’s work here! This week we continue through our series in Proverbs, talking about planning. All of us have plans. Students plan to go to college. Singles plan to get married. Couples plan to start a family. Maybe you are planning for vacation or retirement. The key to finding God’s plan for your life is found in Proverbs 3:5-6. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Decisions
Life is a series of decisions. Every day we make decisions, large and small. Every decision involves trust. Think about it. We eat food and don’t know the cook. We get on a plane not knowing the pilot or the co-pilot. We trust these people with our lives! The only way to make wise decisions is to trust God. “Trust in the Lord….” Before you buy a car or house, take a job, choose a career, choose a mate, etc., consult God. Pray and ask God what He wants and surrender to His will. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Prov. 16:3). Does this verse say plan and ask God to bless your plan? No. Commit whatever you do and your plans will succeed. Commit your actions to the Lord and you will make wise plans. When we rush to conclusions, relationships, purchases, etc., we don’t always make wise decisions.
Direction
“…Lean not on your own understanding.” The wisest man in the world, Solomon, said to lean not on your own. Don’t trust your intellect, instinct, information or insight. Lean not on your own experience and knowledge. Have you ever tried to put something together without reading the directions? I have!
It takes time to read directions! It may add 30 minutes before you start. But, it might save you 3 hours in the long run! That is what it is like trying to live life without reading God’s directions. Take time to read your Bible and ask God for direction. He can do more in a moment than you can do in a lifetime!
Last week I read George Muller’s autobiography. He prayed for hours about everything. He never asked man for anything, but asked God for everything. He took his plans to God for confirmation. God gave direction through the Word, the Holy Spirt, wise counselors (Prov. 19:21, 15:22, 20:18), circumstances, his conscience, through a check in spirit. God will give direction to you and me the same way!
Destination
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” All means all avenues and aspects of life relationally, financially, vocationally, recreationally, etc. Direct means to clear a path. Andy Stanley wrote a book called The Principle of the Path. Here’s the principle: “Direction, not intention, determines destination.” For example, if you want to go to the Outer Banks from Hampton Roads you have to go south. You can pack your swimsuit, get sunscreen, beach chairs and towels, but it does not matter how much you intend to go to Outer Banks, you will never get there from Hampton Roads going north! The path you are on determines your destination. Here is my take on it: Decisions determine direction, and direction determines destination. Are you going in the right direction? Proverbs 4:26 says, “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.”
Be honest. Are you where you wanted to be in your life, relationships, finances, health, etc.? What did you expect based on your decisions? Hope is not a plan! You have to do something to change! God’s plan is not just a roadmap but a relationship. It is not trust in a plan, program, or philosophy, but in a person. If you stay on the path you are on, where will you end up?
