Making a Plan

But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7

A simple phrase which John ‘Hannibal’ Smith said in every episode of the TV show, The A-Team, became iconic – “I love it when a plan comes together.”  At the start of another year, lots of people are putting a plan together for 2024 and saying to themselves, “this year I am going to…”. Maybe you are among this group of plan-makers, goal-setters, and resolution optimists. Will-power has been set in place and determination is the order of the day. What could possibly go wrong?

My determination is always 100% (in my head) – “I will go for a walk every day.” In reality I only have fair-weather determination, so I will go for a walk at long at it’s not raining, or snowing, or blowing a gale, or too cold, or too hot, or… well, you get the picture. My determination is fickle and my will-power has limitations. I am really good at making a plan, it’s just the sticking to it that often lets me down.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. Proverbs 19:21

Making a plan is not a bad idea – a plan keeps us focused and drives us forward – but in order for it to succeed, we need to hand it over to the will of God. He is the one who knows the plans for each one of us, for He is the one who set them in place.

In case you’re wondering, this year my plan is simple – I will look to the Lord and embrace what he has purposed, for his plans are always fulfilled.

What will you say when someone asks, “Do you have any plans for this year?”