TLIC Family. PROVERBS. AUGUST 8: PLANS.

THINK TOGETHER.

What are you planning to do today?

READ TOGETHER

Proverbs 19:21. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

 Solomon is making a contrast here (do you know what a contrast is?). Man’s plans v. God’s purpose. Solomon is teaching us one of the most important lessons in life – you can make all the plans you want, and plans are a good thing, but in the end God will always get what he wants, and what he wants is always good.

In the old days, people like Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin (do you know who they were) believed that God created everything, but after creating the world he just sat back and watched everything happen without getting involved. Sort of like a person who makes a clock, puts it on the shelf and never bothers with it again. But this is the opposite of what the Bible says. The Bible says that God has a purpose for everything, that he is in control, that he guides our lives through everything that happens. And that is way better news then what Thomas Jefferson believed, isn’t it? Why? Because we can know that even if we make a bad plan, or even if our good plans don’t come through, God will still cause everything to work out the way he always wanted it to.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul says it this way in Romans.

Romans 8:28-29. ²⁸And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.

God has a purpose for your life. Here it is: that you would be conformed (shaped and molded like clay) into the image of his son, Jesus. God wants to make you like Jesus. If you have trusted in Jesus, God IS making you like Jesus. No matter what you plan, you WILL be like Jesus in the end. God’s purpose will stand, even when your plans don’t.

Because of Jesus God is making us like Jesus.

With Jesus we can let all our plans be guided by God.

DO SOMETHING TOGETHER

Play with clay or playdough. Talk about how God molds us into the image of Jesus.  

PRAY TOGETHER

Jesus, I know it’s OK to make plans, but I also want to trust you even when my plans don’t work out. Help me to trust that you are always at work in me. Amen.