By Greg Laurie
13 Now
listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend
a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what
will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a
little while and then vanishes. James 4:13-14
The Bible doesn't
condemn the person who makes plans for the future. Rather, it criticizes the
person who makes those plans with no thought whatsoever for the will of God.
That is a dangerous thing to do. God won't share His glory with another.
There is nothing wrong with making plans. Paul told the believers in Ephesus that he would return for renewed ministry among them, "God willing" (Acts 18:21). He wrote to the Corinthians that he planned another visit "if the Lord willed" (1 Corinthians 4:19). On other occasions, Paul spoke of his plans to do certain things and how the Lord changed his plans. We have our plans. We have our purposes. We have our agendas. But the Lord may redirect us.
Jesus taught us to pray, "Your will be done" (Luke 11:2). Our prayers will be effective and successful when we align our will with the will of God and pray accordingly. Prayer is not getting our will in heaven; it is getting God's will on earth. It is not moving God our way; it is moving ourselves His way. We need to remember that His will may be different from ours. And we must be willing to accept that.
The God who knows you inside out also knows what lies ahead for you in life. We can always fall back on the simple promise of Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
There is nothing wrong with making plans. Paul told the believers in Ephesus that he would return for renewed ministry among them, "God willing" (Acts 18:21). He wrote to the Corinthians that he planned another visit "if the Lord willed" (1 Corinthians 4:19). On other occasions, Paul spoke of his plans to do certain things and how the Lord changed his plans. We have our plans. We have our purposes. We have our agendas. But the Lord may redirect us.
Jesus taught us to pray, "Your will be done" (Luke 11:2). Our prayers will be effective and successful when we align our will with the will of God and pray accordingly. Prayer is not getting our will in heaven; it is getting God's will on earth. It is not moving God our way; it is moving ourselves His way. We need to remember that His will may be different from ours. And we must be willing to accept that.
The God who knows you inside out also knows what lies ahead for you in life. We can always fall back on the simple promise of Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
God's plans for you
are better than any plans you have for yourself. So don't be afraid of God's
will, even if it's different from yours.
