Daily Devotional
Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails
Even the best of plans will fail if it is not God’s plan. In addition to your personal experiences there is enough scriptural evidence to prove that this is true. Moses’ plan to take the deliverance of Israel into his own hands quickly failed when he committed murder. Jonah’s plan to go to Tarshish rather than Nineveh, where God sent him, ended with him being thrown overboard and finding himself in the belly of the whale 3 days and 3 nights. Saul’s plan to go to Damascus to persecute the church came to naught. But, thereafter he ardently followed God’s plan and was the apostle, in the early church, who had the greatest impact. The conclusion that should be drawn from these examples is that the only guarantee of success, in any endeavor, is to follow God’s plan.
While it is important to have a plan, it is not your many plans that will give you the result that you need. That was part of what was being communicated in Proverbs 19:21. One characteristic of a successful plan is that it must be aligned with God’s purpose. The scripture says “it is God’s purpose that prevails”. A plan that is contrary to God’s purpose is like building a plan to contend with God. In that case who do you think will come out on top? Jonah’s life should help you answer that. Another characteristic of a successful plan is that it is built on wisdom. Proverbs 24:6 says “for by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war.” Although it Is possible to draw wisdom from different sources, the spoken or written word of God is the number one source of wisdom. It is why David made it a habit of building his war plans on the wisdom of God and as a result, he never lost a battle.
If in the past you have made the mistake of building your plans solely on your ideas, there is a better way. Follow God’s plan; that guarantees you victory.
Life Application: Follow God’s plan by:
a) identifying and aligning yourself with God’s purpose
b) applying biblical principles in helping to shape your strategy
c) seeking divine direction for specific actions that should be taken.
Prayer: Lord, your way is always the right way. Help me to always follow your plan even when it doesn’t make sense to me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Daily Devotional 
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