The To Do List

Dear Friends,

Let me begin with an apology for the long absence of the "Plan B" devotionals. The hiatus was completely unintentional, and came about as a result of a series of events - some expected, and some not - that have happened over the past few weeks. The expected events were things like weddings and births - and the unexpected events were things like funerals, hospitalizations, and health problems. But whether the events were expected or not, the result was that the past few weeks have been incredibly busy, and I have not had time to sit down and write about what God’s been doing.

The good news is, things seem to have settled down a bit, and we’re finally able to get back to the weekly rhythm of life - including "Plan B’s”! As I've pondered all that has happened over the past several weeks, it has occurred to me that God has woven a common theme through it all: my plans are not His plans. From what I had written on my calendar, to the strategies I had for ministry at our church, to the goals I had for spending time with family - over the past few weeks God has been redirecting my steps. Sometimes the redirection has been gentle, and other times, God has had to be more direct. Through it all, I've been reminded of Proverbs 16:9, which tells us, “We make our plans, but the LORD directs our steps.”

This is actually one of my favorite verses, because I think it captures so simply the reality of each of our lives. Here’s what I mean: we all tend to head into the day with an agenda - or a “to do” list. Usually, these agendas are based on what we think is important to accomplish that day. And even though we may have an overall attitude that says, “I want to be a blessing to others in my life", our plans for the day are still mostly about us - and what we want to get done. The thing is, God WILL determine our steps…whether we want Him to do so, or not. Our challenge is whether we will we resist His direction, and let the “interruptions” God brings along frustrate us – or whether will we humbly set aside our agendas and embrace what God is doing through the interruptions.

What I’ve learned over the years is that it’s best to embrace what God is doing. And as we do so, it’s important to remember that He doesn’t make mistakes. Psalm 18:30 says “As for God, His way is perfect.” So we can trust that His plans for our days are better than our own. If we hold on to that truth, it will help build in us a desire for the Lord to determine our steps, regardless of our own plans, or what seems to make the most sense to us on any given day.

So today, let's give our agendas over to God. We all have them. We all pursue them. But God's agenda is bigger, and better than ours - so let's submit ourselves to Him. Let's ask Him to help us trust Him to guide our steps, both in the little things of life, as well as the big. And in this way, we will live with peace as we trust our Heavenly Father to direct us according to His best plans.

Amen?

Daniel