The Potential Problem with our Plans

Scripture Verse that Caught My Attention Today: Hosea 8:4 They made kings, but not through me;
they set up princes, but without my knowledge.
With their silver and gold they made idols
for their own destruction.

Observation: They made plans of their own devising without sincere inquiry of God.

Application: Plans. We all like to make plans. We have our wish-lists, our druthers. We know what we would buy if we could, where we would vacation if we could, and anything else that we might like to do if we could.

But there is something deeper that is easily missed.

Whether one describes this something deeper as a calling or a vocation makes little difference. The words are related and they have to do with a purpose or pull that is beyond ourselves and, ultimately, from God.

This purpose or pull may or may not be directly related to our means of making a living, but it is most certainly directly related to our means of making a life.

The people in Amos’ day were busy making lots and lots of plans, but the plans were not, shall we say, of the Lord. Their own pride and ambition became their downfall.

Admittedly, it’s not always easy to distinguish between plans of the Lord and one’s own plans. But here’s a hint: if our plans focus more on what we want and/or what we want to do and less on what people in the world really need and/or what we are uniquely gifted to offer, well…that might be a red flag. Then it might be time to question whether we have forsaken our real calling(s) in favor of using our own modern-day versions of silver and gold toward our own destruction.

Prayer: Lord, thanks for the reminder that all plans are foolish if they are not in some way rooted in you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Hosea 6-9 and Hebrews 3)