What's new
By:
Filters
Christian Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Bible Study God’s Plan

Andyintheuk

Andyintheuk

Member
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I remember as a youngster some of my peers had long-term aims and objectives, some teens and early twenties seem to have their life pretty much mapped out, career, marriage, kids, car and house. I was one of the ‘other group' that didn’t have a clue or care about long term objectives, just seemed to drift through.

I was wondering the other day, are long-term objectives and plans a good thing or do they show a lack of consideration for God’s plan for us?

God gave us a brain and ability to make plans, so yes we can make plans for where we’re going on holiday next year or how you’re going to plant the garden, but long term goals and objectives, isn’t that God’s department?

I’m asking the younger members just setting out in life’s adventure and those who older who might advise them.
 
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3 ESV

Its best to seek the Lord's will when making plans.

Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. Proverbs 15:22 ESV

Also seek the counsel of the Lord's people who have wisdom.
 
Hi there Andy. Those were great Scripture verses to help our friends who might be looking at the future with so many questions as you posed.

James 4:13 - 17
James 4:13 "Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit."
4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.
4:15 Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."
4:16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.
4:17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin."

Take care my Brother. :hug
Chopper
 
Chopper said:
Hi there Andy. Those were great Scripture verses to help our friends who might be looking at the future with so many questions as you posed.

James 4:13 - 17
James 4:13 "Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit."
4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.
4:15 Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."
4:16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.
4:17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin."

Take care my Brother. :hug
Chopper
Click to expand...

This is one of those issues that in my own head, seems perfectly logical. What’s wrong with making plans? God has given us a brain, ability to predict and plan ahead but it seems that the Bible advises against it.

Two passages the support the passage that you’ve quoted are -
“I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove.

Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭2:4-6, 10-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And in the New Testament-

“Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’” Luke‬ ‭12:16-20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Are these passages really telling us we shouldn’t be making Lon term plans?
 
This might not be the right way it's meant, but what if the rich man in the parable was given his death because he was filled with only his own concerns. Not for how to share the wealth, or to serve God. But to store it up for himself instead.
 
Proverbs 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

I was never one to make long range plans for myself other than just being married, but even in that I never looked for Gods plan until my third marriage. I wasn't looking to get married the third time, but God had greater plans for me that I did not know at the time. God brought me my gift from Him in my third husband as together we became in the Lord and called by Him for the purpose of His ministry.

My advice for young adults just staring out in life that are Spiritually born again is to set your goals according to the purpose God has for you to prosper in all you do. It does not matter what you choose as a career, even if it's only a good marriage, but that you put Christ first in all your decisions and let Him direct your path. Doing this will always put God first in whatever career you choose and He will prosper you at whatever you set your hand to do. Proverbs 3:1-6; 16:3.
 
Michael74 said:
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3 ESV

Its best to seek the Lord's will when making plans.

Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. Proverbs 15:22 ESV

Also seek the counsel of the Lord's people who have wisdom.
Click to expand...

Absolutely right Michael. The verse that stands out is -
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Another is

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Yes the Bible’s not saying we can only take each day as it comes but there are passages that cast doubt on the wisdom of long term plans -

“For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew‬ ‭6:32-34‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
 
That says don't worry about things. Fret over them.

Its okay to put a few coppers in your 401k, just don't stress out about the future. Just obey God today. Don't get distracted away from what He wants us to do today. Obsessing about the cares of this world can lead to:

Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Mark 4:18-19 NKJV
 
Last edited:
I'm pretty sure that since God gave us brains and an ability to plan, we can plan ahead. I remember (a long time ago) as a member of a church that helped with the organisation of a Billy Graham crusade, that was planned meticulously a couple of years in the making.

What God wants though is a central part in those plans. Imagine His boiling anger when the man with the barns was planning on cashing in on his good fortune, and using the proceeds to live a retirement of debauchery, an early example of mid-life crisis lol.

So no, God has no problem with retirement, none with plans to fund your retirement, but serving God has to be at the core of that plan.

That's why we have these apparent contradictory verses of scripture. Long term plans - OK. Long term plans where God is absent or an afterthought, no no.

We need to pray them through, seek the blessing and comfort of the Holy Spirit, and if it's not there that's a pretty good clue that your plans are not His will.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top