Plans

“The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.” Proverbs 19:21

Our time in Door County came to an end yesterday. We got home last night, our car an explosion of swimsuits and bicycles, stuffed animals and new pottery. I’m still on vacation today, because it’s nice to have a buffer day between travel and work (and because, let’s face it, it’s been nearly impossible to use vacation time during 2020, so I had an extra day to burn). The last five days went by too fast, but our time away was a wonderful escape.

Part of the joy of vacation is having large swaths of unscheduled time. This is not to say we didn’t have plans. We didn’t sit around doing nothing. It’s simply that the things we did were not driven by external pressures. We did more or less what we wanted to do, more or less when we wanted to do it. The plan unfolded one step at a time.

Our passage today from the Daily Texts warns against making too many plans. This does not mean we should go through life as lazy slugs without a care in the world. It does mean, however, that we should not put too much faith in our plans or look too far into the future. For one thing, this is simply good advice; our plans go wrong and, if we live in the future, we miss out on the present. There is something bigger going on here, though. When we put our faith in our own plans, we commit idolatry. We were made to trust God, and this means traveling on the path that God intends.

God is so committed to the divine plan that Jesus Christ was willing to die to put the plan back on track. This is a God you can trust. So slow down, at least once in a while. Take the day as it comes. Don’t be so busy doing your thing that you miss out on what God is up to in the world.

Oh, and don’t weigh yourself the day after returning home from a state that specializes in beer and cheese. That was a bad idea.

Be well, friends. You are loved.

God, you are the Lord of our days. Everything we build will eventually come to ruin, but your Kingdom endures for ever. Thank you for the gift of Jesus, through whose death and resurrection we are included in your purposeful plans. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Image: Lyles overlooking Lake Michigan, Cave Point County Park, July 14, 2020.