Got Plans?

Hi, and welcome to this Monday edition of Our Daily Bread. Today's reading, titled Got Plans?, was written by Cindy Hess Casper. Caden, a young man of almost 18, was anticipating attending his first choice of a college on an academic scholarship. He was involved in a campus ministry in high school and looked forward to participating in a similar ministry in the new environment. He'd saved money from his part-time job and also had an excellent lead on a new job. He'd established some great goals, and everything was coming together exactly on schedule. And then, in the spring of 2020, a global health crisis changed everything. The school let Caden know that his first semester would probably be online. The campus ministry was on a hiatus.

The job prospect dried up when the business closed. As he despaired, his buddy glibly quoted words from a well-known professional boxer. Yeah, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Proverb 16 tells us that when we commit all we do to God, He'll establish our plans and work things out according to His will. True commitment, however, can be difficult. It involves an open heart to God's direction, along with a willingness to resist charting our course independently. Dreams that don't come to fruition can bring disappointment, but our limited vision for the future can never compete with God's all-knowing ways. As we yield ourselves to Him, we can be certain that He's still lovingly directing our steps, even when we don't see the path ahead. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Proverbs 16, verses 3 through 9.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end, even the wicked for a day of disaster. The Lord detests all the proud of heart.

Be sure of this, they will not go unpunished. Through love and faithfulness, man is atoned for. Through the fear of the Lord, evil is avoided. When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone's way, He causes their enemies to make peace with them.

Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice. In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Let's pray. Father, help us to trust You even in our disappointments, knowing that You're a good and faithful God, and You'll establish our steps as we keep our eyes on You. Thank You, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.