Plans You Can Trust

The mind of a person plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9).

Trust in God, but tie your camel tightly. -Arab Proverb

Man plans, and God laughs. –Mike Kappel, Forbes Magazine

This year, we lost the privilege of plans. But you can’t stop a good human from planning.

Hope is rising all around, and folks are planning their hearts out. The 2021 planner aisle at Target was almost empty last week. We are expectant, people!

How do we face a year of aspirations during a global pandemic that has delayed weddings, halted flights, caused people to die alone, shut down jobs, and exponentially increased the time our children spend in front of a device?

I appreciate the humor of Forbes Magazine entrepreneur Mike Kappel, who describes man as a hopeful planner, while God looks on bent over in a belly laugh.

My Arab friends are onto something here… be wise. And trust God. The decisions you make can impact the outcome of your plans.

But my Lord, the one who knows the plans He has for you and for me, plans not to harm us, but to give us hope and a future (see Jeremiah 29:11), the God who spoke the stars into being and filled the crocus with immeasurable strength to push through frozen ground and snow to blossom in winter, that God, He has given us consent to plan away.

God’s permission to plan comes with a promise, a guarantee that we will find greatly comforting if our plans don’t go exactly the way we hoped. The Lord promises to direct our steps.

So plan, planners! Make your plans, with Him.

Plans you can trust are plans yielded to the Lord. No matter the outcome, we can have peace knowing that God, who is good, who loves us, is directing our steps. #NewYear #Plans #2021 #faith Share on X

Use a bullet journal, a fancy app, a spiral-bound planner, whatever makes you happy. 

Give those plans to Him as you make them. Ask Him to direct your steps even in the planning. 

In the end, no matter where you end up, you will be filled with satisfaction and security knowing that your plans were covered by One greater than you, One who knows the future, One who sees what is around the corner of the next year and beyond. He can be trusted to direct our steps, for He is good.

Lord, as I plan my year, please direct my steps. I yield the outcomes to You and I trust You. Amen.