Failing To Plan Is Planning To Fail
It’s Not Too Late

Well here we are entering a brand new year. It’s 2008. Did you ever think you would live long enough to see this year? It reminds me of a time when I was in Junior High looking ahead to the time that I would be in my 50’s. None of us in the class could imagine living that long. Planning for that day was, in our minds, ridiculous. Now I am past the 50 mark and into the 60’s and still find it hard to really plan for the future.

I guess the sluggish economy, changing world events, uncertain employment, more liberal morals and all the other daily trials overshadow any organized planning for the future. However, failing to plan is really planning to fail. Life is too short not to look ahead and at lest try to plan for those days.

We all know that winter is here but in the middle of July, we paid little attention to its slow decent. Now that it is here, we deal with it the best way we know how. That’s life! However, there is a Biblical basis for both not caring and caring about the future. Some folks get hung up on them and miss God’s will.

On the one hand, Jesus said that we were to take no thought of tomorrow. Most of understand that to mean…do not get anxious, worried or frustrated about the future with respect to basis provisions. God knows that we have need of them and will provide. Trusting God is the focal point but some miss that and disregard the need to plan for tomorrow.

On the other hand, He tells us a story about two men that built houses, one on the sand and one on a rock. Guess which man lost his house when the storms came? You are right, the one who built his house on the sand. It is obvious that he took no thought of tomorrow and its storms whereas the other man surely must have known that his tomorrows would have storms and made sure that his house was on a proper foundation that could withstand the pressure.

We are all speeding into the future and forced to deal with both its calm and fury. How can we plan when we are always dealing with this or that? Here are a few thoughts to consider:

1. STOP! LOOK! And LISTEN! That is to say…slow down, evaluate your direction, God’s will and pay attention to what you are hearing in the Spirit. There is no reason to rush through life not paying attention to what God has placed into you. You have a divine destiny and it is about time you knew what it is.

2. Think about the future. Look far into it with prayer and supplication before the throne of God. The Word says that the prudent or wise man perceives the evil ahead and hides himself but the fool rushes in and is punished. Thinking about the future involves what you will be doing. What is the Lord’s will? What direction will life lead you or should you lead it by divine revelations?

3. Keep a record of your feelings. It is important to review and possibly consider things more than once. How you feel is usually a good channel to knowing the right path to take. Remember, it is the peace of God that is to referee, thus approve or reject all situations. No peace, No path No joy, No hope, No satisfaction.

Now let’s look at a future full of promises and with the hand of faith start taking those that the Spirit of God has placed before you. This is you inheritance as a child of God. Don’t let the devil steal the precious promises of God, leaving you bankrupt.

We all know that Jesus is coming back to earth one day as King of kings and Lord of lords. Most of us believe that the saints will be caught up with Him in the air in a glorious union as He brings heaven to earth at the end of the age. What have you done to plan for that future event? If you plan for everything else and overlook the greatest awakening of all times, when Jesus will call to Himself the sheep of His pasture, where will you be?

Think about it…Jesus is coming soon. Are you ready to meet Him? If you do not look at it now, you will have to at His coming and what then? If you are into immorality or other fleshly sins…or just selfish and self absorbed, you are sure to face His judgment. My Bible says that only those that do the will of His Father are His family.

Now you have a lot to ponder over the next 360 + days, until we reach 2009. Will we be closer to the knowledge of His will and actively perusing our divine destiny? Only time will tell. With Holy hands and clean hearts, let us march confidently into 2008 to bring into reality all that God has promised us.

Until next time

John Marinelli

johnmarinelli@embarqmail.com