What’s The Plan?

Hi this is pastor Ken and these are my thought on a Thursday…What’s The Plan?

I’m a “fly by the seat of my pants” kind of guy. There is little that intrigues me more than something unplanned. The only way you can ruin something spontaneous in my mind is to stop and plan how you will go about the new found opportunity. I am a firm believer in the old adage that “The planning of something is often its undoing”. My idea of a great day is to hit the road with no destination in mind, and to turn around when my time or money is half gone so I can have just as much fun coming home from wherever I ended up. My sweet wife on the other hand, thinks that is the recipe for a disaster not a great vacation. I’m not ready to say she over plans things, she does not, but she does like to have a plan. She likes to know what she is doing, who she will be doing it with, and when the day is done, she likes to see that she accomplished something in particular. She loves a good to do list…especially if it has a lot of checkmarks on it at the end of the day.

At the end of the day, in this respect, she is more like God than I am. He likes to know who He is working with; in fact, He likes to know everything there is to know about that person. The New Century Version states Psalm 139:1-6 this way; Lord, you have examined me and know all about me. You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know my thoughts before I think them. You know where I go and where I lie down. You know everything I do. Lord, even before I say a word, you already know it. You are all around me – in front and in back – and have put your hand on me. Your knowledge is amazing to me; it is more than I can understand. God knows everything there is to know about us. He knows when we are resting or beginning to work on something. If we take a trip, a planned one or the kind I mentioned I like to take…He knows where we are going, how far we will get and makes plans ahead of time, to provide for us when we need to stop. He knows everything we have done, are doing and will ever do. He knows our very thoughts…even before we do. He knows what is going to come out of our mouths before we even form the words. He cares so intimately about who you are, what you think, where you go and what you do, that He chooses to lead, and to follow so that He can protect you from what’s ahead and behind. And just so nothing can touch you that He hasn’t looked over and decided will be useful in your being transformed to look like Jesus, He keeps His hand of covering over you. That is indeed amazing to think about…but let’s take it a step further.

Why has God been watching us so closely? Is it because He loves us so immensely and intensely? Yes, but wait…there’s more! It’s also because has chosen us from the very beginning. Before He created a single thing…you were on his mind! Ephesians 1:4 again from the New Century Version tells us That is, in Christ, he chose us before the world was made so that we would be his holy people—people without blame before him. This is wonderful news…His eyes have been on us because His heart has been for us…forever! Beyond that, Ephesians 1:11 goes on to say In Christ we were chosen to be God’s people, because from the very beginning God had decided this in keeping with his plan. And he is the One who makes everything agree with what he decides and wants. God has been intently keeping His eyes on us, thinking of us since before the beginning of time, because He has plans for us. Amazing!

So what’s the plan? For the answer to that we have to turn in our Bibles all the way to…the next chapter. Ephesians 2:10 reads; God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing. God has been planning for you…forever…for such a time as this. Your life; where you live it, who you live it with, who your friends are, where you work, where you like to eat out, where you will vacation next, all of it has been by design. God has been concerned with it all because He has some specific things that need doing, and He has the perfect person for the job…You!

So how will you know what the plan is? How will you know the good works He has laid out for you? Well this is where it gets interesting for impetuous, spontaneous people like me who want to fly by the seat of their pants and who want all of life to be viewed from the edge of their seats. Just go love people, love them the way God loves you, His plan will unfold right before your impulsive eyes. For those of you who love that there is a plan…well, you guys, plan to love, everybody, every day, just like God loves you. As you do, the comforting plan of God for your life will be continuously revealed…and you can check it off as you fulfill it if it makes you happy.

So now, whether you are a planner or a high flyer, lovingly fulfilling His plans…go be awesome!