“We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

I walk in a local park most weekdays with a close friend. Because we nearly always walk about the same time each day, we have gotten to know other folks who do likewise.  One older gentleman by the name of Harry maintains a regular presence with his dog.  We frequently engage in conversation with Harry who is in his late seventies. Sometimes we have wondered if Harry doesn’t become a bit too adventuresome for his age. This became apparent on one occasion when we observed him walking on the top of a barrier wall located between the walking path and a creek on the other side.  When we asked Harry if he wasn’t concerned about falling, he indicated that he had to follow where the dog decided to take him. When he disappeared from our routine some months afterward, we were anxious that he might be having health problems. Later when we did run into him, he told us that as he and his dog leave the house he allows the pet to direct their walk. If he heads for the car, they come to the park. Otherwise, the dog leads him on a different adventure through the neighborhood. I considered how many of us would tolerate our pet setting the agenda for the path we would follow that day. I’m sure I wouldn’t.

The month of June is one of those months when many plans are laid.  Families strategize about upcoming summer vacations. The weather forecast will often dictate whether one can pack lightly or if preparations for varying climate changes must be made. Depending on the ages of the persons who are going, the balance between relaxing and entertainment options must be taken into account for each participant. If the event being finalized happens to be our wedding, most likely confirming all the last-minute details are executed assures that the special day will come off without a hitch. Or if one happens to be sitting on a folding chair at an outdoor commencement, they just might be dreaming of making plans to change the world even before they receive that diploma or move their tassel from one side of the cap to the other. Plans can be exciting, but we can also find ourselves drowning in the concern for the many details.

While I haven’t been able to discover exactly who said it, I find that I can personally identify with the expression – “If the Lord is willing and creeks don’t rise.” I think we would all be better off if we subscribed to this old adage. It acknowledges the fact that we can plan all we want, but there is no guarantee that the path we lay out today will ever come to fruition tomorrow. James stated it this way in the New Testament: “Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog–it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil” (James 4:13-16).

While there is nothing incorrect and it is often necessary that we make preparations for our ensuing days – it is probably not a bad idea to sometimes pose the question, “So what’s my Plan B?” What if God takes hold of this idea I have, this relationship I have developed, or this recognition I have received and nudges me in a direction I have never even considered? What if the plan you have been formulating over time is not within His will for your life? Those who are seeking maturity in the faith come to realize that making plans without seeking God’s will is a little bit like a quarterback who finds himself in the middle of a game without a playbook. If you are making decisions based primarily on what makes you happy, then your priorities may very well be out of focus with what He desires for you. Then you are in danger of stumbling at every turn. While we don’t always realize it – God often calls us from a place of vulnerability at the most unexpected time. So be ready to “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3).  After all, if we don’t consider God’s will as part of our planning – we may just  as well be following the whim of an old dog.

REFLECTION: How could you live your life in such a way that it would bring the most glory to God? Consider the challenge offered in Matthew 6:33: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”  How can you place His will first in your life?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., JUNE 10, 2017.  COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.