His Plan vs. My Plan

Yesterday morning we read the children's version of Jesus Calling for our family devotional.  It was centered around Proverbs 16:9:  'In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.'  The following was some of the commentary that proceeded: 

• I have a plan for your life, a perfect plan.  But I will show you only a piece of it at a time.  
• Sometimes I will give you a glimpse of your wonderful future, to encourage you to keep going.  But I want you to focus on staying close to Me today.  
• Don't crane your neck, trying to see what's around the next corner.  Trust Me enough to relax and enjoy your walk with Me today.

The Lord has really been working on me regarding these things this summer.  Just as Proverbs 16:9 says, 'In his heart a man plans his course', I have been completely caught up in planning our course in regards to our move.  

In my plan, we sold our house ourselves instead of having all the realtor fees.  

In my plan, we moved sometime in July, giving us ample time to say good-bye to friends in Louisville, but giving us plenty of time to get settled in Paducah.  

In my plan, we could go down and spend a week or two painting the house we bought and making it 'just right' before we moved in. 

In my plan, we were able to buy a house and still have money left over to put into the bank so that it was there when our cars bit the dust.  

In my plan, we sold our house in a couple of months time.

In my plan, we have a great health insurance policy with a small deductible.

Yet--

God's plan has determined that we get a realtor.

God's plan has yet to be revealed regarding the timing of selling our house.  God's plan may have us go to Paducah with our Louisville house unsold and live there in some kind of crazy-creative setup yet to be disclosed.

God's plan may not allow for any 'week or two' of painting or what have you.

God's plan may determine that we make just enough on the sale of this house to buy a house in Paducah.  His plan may determine that we will not have any extra money to save for a car; instead He will want us to rejoice in such because we get the privelege of living in expectant faith and seeing God come through when we do have to buy one.

God's plan might determine that we live in a much smaller house than our house in Louisville.

God's plan might not be to sale our house in Louisville at all.

God's plan might determine that we have a health insurance plan with a very large deductible.  His plan will want us to rejoice in the fact that we do indeed have insurance and not in the details of it. 

Sometimes it takes a day or two to adjust to God's plan--when He brings you down to the reality of what 'is'.  The truth is, outcomes are often not as 'fairytalish' as we would like.  If it was, we wouldn't really need much faith, would we?  Faith for God to step in and provide when we need something.  Faith that has learned to not be self-reliant.  Faith that chooses prayer and waiting over taking matter into her own hands.

As I thought upon all this, God brought to my mind Matthew 6:21:  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  I realized that there is still treasure that I am holding onto in my heart--the treasure of security.  Security in a bank account rather than in He who brings the funds.  Security in a 'cute house' rather than in He who provides the dwelling.  Security in a good health insurance policy rather than in He, the giver and taker of life.  


When asked how to pray, Jesus gave an exhortation that we now call the Lord's Prayer.  It is considered the perfect prayer and an example to us of how and what to pray.  How often have we, as believers, prayed the line in this prayer, 'Give us this day our daily bread?'  Yet, how often do we truly mean it?  I may be praying with my mouth 'give me this day my daily bread', yet my mind is meditating on 'my future bread' and my actions are accumulating 'my future bread'.  


When God rained down manna for the Israelites, He ask that they gather it daily.  In fact, if they tried to accumulate manna for the following day (aside from storing up for the Sabbath), it would rot.  In their insatiable need for security, though, they tried to store up extra.  Guess what?  They found their next day stash--their 'security'--full of maggots.


Sometimes the only way to learn something is to be put in circumstances where we have no choice but to learn and grow (ummm, or complain and be miserable).  While I have a long way to go on this journey, I am 'learning' to...


                ...be thankful for daily provision.  
                    ...to not crane my neck into the future
                        ...to dwell in the Lord today
                             ...to trust in His plan.


No matter how upside-down His plan might look to 'our way of viewing things', trust in it.  End of story.