“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5 NLT
Have you ever admired an edifice and wondered about the great minds that created it, or tasted a delicacy and wished for more? Let’s take a step back. That building you admired began with a meticulously planned blueprint. That delicious food started with a grocery list. Getting those results took a lot of planning.
This is a year heavy with expectations. If you want it to be the best, do not be hasty to jump into action. Pray, plan, and take action. What has God told you concerning this year? What assignment has He laid in your heart? Pray about it. God is willing to guide you through that journey. He wants to lead you through it all the way.
Does that idea seem too big? Are you worried about where the capital will come from? Pray about it to your Father. He hears. (1 Peter 5:7) With prayer comes direction and alignment with His will. Prayer strengthens us through hurdles and storms. As we receive direction in prayer, we can plan well.
Plan on when to marry, when to change jobs, how to execute that idea, who to do business with. Planning births order, order birth peace. Noah didn’t just build the ark, there was a plan (Genesis 6:15). How much plan have you given to the assignment God has laid on your hand? Have you created a blueprint for it?
An African proverb says “tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today”. Planning wipes out distress and worry. Don’t wait till you have that opportunity. Start preaching to those around you, draft your CV, create a business plan, register that business, register for the exam, and save now. God planned our salvation story before we knew we needed saving, how much more His assignment?
Take bold steps to follow God’s leading this year, and be brave in doing so. Deliberately choose to follow God and His plan for your life. It is preferable to fail in God’s will than not try at all. We should imitate Paul’s tenacity in following God’s lead in Acts 20:22-24. Step out of the boat and walk on water; be brave and take that bold step.
It’s not enough to pray and plan, but be diligent in implementing the directives given to you by God. After God told Noah about the ark dimension, he didn’t ponder on how it would be or how long it would take. He implemented it. Do not be anxious about how your plans will fall in place, commit them to God, and they will be established.
Bible Reading Plan: Exodus 4-6, Matthew 16:13-17:8