Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Pastor Steven Furtick’s message last Sunday inspired today’s post.

Today’s scripture, Proverbs 19:21 (NLT) says…
[21] You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.

Consider…
Pastor Steven Furtick is currently teaching a series called ‘That’s What I Thought’. The goal of the series is to transform our thinking.

Although I don’t recall him linking it, Romans 12:2 (NLT) could be series signature scripture…
[2] Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

The transformational title from Sunday was ‘Hand Him The Plan’, and he taught it from today’s verse.

As mentioned, his sermon inspired today’s post, thus we will now pivot to some additional thoughts the Lord gave me regarding our plans versus His purpose.

In court cases there are plaintiffs and defendants. For example, in 1996 the United States Supreme Court ruled on the case, United States v Virginia. The basis of the case was, Virginia Military Institute’s (VMI), a state-sponsored military academy, had a long-standing policy of excluding women. The United States government sued, arguing this policy was discriminatory. The United States prevailed.

I used this example, because it’s similar to creation (us) having its own plans which are in conflict with the Creator’s purpose.

Jeremiah 18:1-6 (NLT) underscores this
understanding…
[1] The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, [2] “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” [3] So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. [4] But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. [5] Then the Lord gave me this message: [6] “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.

Our accomplishments can be misleading, because they engender thoughts of self-sufficiency. Such was the case with the tower of Babel.

Genesis 11:1-9 (NLT) shares…
[1] At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. [2] As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. [3] They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) [4] Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” [5] But the LORD came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. [6] “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! [7] Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.” [8] In that way, the LORD scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. [9] That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world.

This, like the Potter and the pot from Jeremiah, is a great illustration of the Creator exercising His Sovereignty over His creation. That’s an important lesson, because we are wasting our time trying to dictate what we will do versus seeking to fulfill what God created us to do.

The Holy Spirit gave me Psalms 100:3 (NLT) to exhort us to…
[3] Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Contrary to our actions and attitudes, we belong to God, not vice versa.

Please don’t misunderstand, God doesn’t have an issue with us planning and acting on those plans. The Holy Spirit showed me, the issue that God has is being excluded from them. Remember in the tower of Babel scripture that we read, verse 4 revealed God’s issue with their motives…
Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.”

Like the clothing line, the people’s thinking was For Us By Us (FUBU). Unfortunately, the same thinking is still prevalent today. And God’s purpose still prevails regardless.

We must always be mindful, we’re not self-made, but we’re made by Him for Him.

As Romans 11:36 (NIV)
explains…
[36] For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

God made us for His glory, not our self-aggrandizing story.

So what’s the conclusion, or solution?

Well, Proverbs 16:1-3 (NLT) advises…
[1] We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer. [2] People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. [3] Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.

God is saying, get my input and approval on your plans. And the key to getting God’s approval is found in Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)…
[5] Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Plan on not my will, but thy will be done. That hit play on Hillary Scott singing…

I’m so confused
I know I heard you loud and clear
So, I followed through
Somehow I ended up here
I don’t wanna think
I may never understand
That my broken heart is a part of your plan
When I try to pray
All I’ve got is hurt and these four words

Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done

I know you’re good
But this don’t feel good right now
And I know you think
Of things I could never think about
It’s hard to count it all joy
Distracted by the noise
Just trying to make sense
Of all your promises
Sometimes I gotta stop
Remember that you’re God
And I am not
So

Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Like a child on my knees all that comes to me is
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will

That’s because as Darius Brooks sings…

I wish I could tell you just what I want,
And you give it to me just like that
The truth of the matter
What I want just might hurt me
And you won’t let me go out like that
You know my end before my beginning
Calculated blessings down to the penny
So I’ll cry ’til you tell me, ‘Let it go, let it be’
Oh, Lord Your will is what’s best for me.

It’s important that we understand, God’s will is best for us. It’s equally important that we understand had a plan when in mind when He made us. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) affirms…
[10] For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

God created us with the Master’s plan.

Therefore, like contractors on a construction project, we need to know and follow the Architect’s blueprint. We do that by following Joshua 1:8 (NIV)…
[8] Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

In closing, the Holy Spirit is contemporized my understanding by instructing me that our plans being subject to God’s purpose, is like putting our desired destination into GPS for directions. Only, in the case of our lives, GPS stands for God’s Purpose Sanctification.

The supporting scripture provided was Jesus’ prayer in John 17:17-19 (NIV)
[17] Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. [18] As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. [19] For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

God sanctified us to be sent into the world His purpose.

So, when we put our plans into His GPS, we can accurately rely on Romans 8:28 (NLT) being true in our lives…
[28] And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

If you want God’s approval of your plans, align them with His purpose.

Today’s song is…
All In His Plan

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)