The heart of man plans his way,

but the LORD establishes his steps.

Proverbs 16:9, ESV

My wife pointed this one out to me years ago.

It involved King David, and especially the way he proceeded near the end of his life. Once God had firmly established his kingdom, David did something that was remarkable. Instead of living out the rest of his life, enjoying the wealth and security that God had already blessed him with, David got to work planning for the future. His biggest plans involved the construction of the temple - the house of God that his son Solomon would be building. David made the plans, made a careful calculation of the materials that would be needed, and then he acquired all those materials in order that they would be ready for the moment God had Solomon begin the work.

In addition to that, King David made arrangements for the servants of the kingdom. In everything from the worship to the specific duties of the men and women who were needed to accomplish these things, David had detailed assignments for who would do what, how they would then conduct their duties, and made further arrangements to acquire everything they would need. Of course, David did not adjust the things that were already commanded such where the priests would come from and how they would do their tasks, but God allowed David to plan for everything that He did not already specify.

Furthermore, David prepared the hearts of his people to the service. Rather than just give them tasks that they were to mindlessly do, David told them why. God certainly inspired David in this preparation of the people's hearts, but David was quite thoughtfully involved in the entire process. David encouraged Solomon from a very early age to value and pursue wisdom, and this encouragement prepared Solomon when it came his turn. Finally, when his end was near, David gave final instructions for "tying up the loose ends" that were still needing to be taken care of.

In short, David made the plans for every important area that he was allowed to, and then God determined his steps. Some of the things that David and Israel went through would not have been the way that he would have preferred, but David faithfully abided by God's will, understanding that God's decisions were perfect. This complete trust in God did several things, but chief among them was that it allowed David to be guided in the precisely right way, and it then allowed him to go full speed ahead with his plans, knowing that God would make all adjustments necessary.

How about us? Do we have the foresight to be making needed plans for the future? Are we preparing ourselves to best serve God in everything from studying His word to making sure that our physical houses are in order? Are we seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, or are we using the bulk of our thoughts and efforts for making ourselves comfortable in the future? Worse. are we making no plans at all, but instead are we just going through the necessary motions each day, putting out the hottest fires, and then mindlessly idling away the rest of our time?

We need a plan!

And this plan does not have to be limited to the spiritual side of our life (It can still include exciting and worthy projects) but our service to God must ever be before us as the priority of our existence. We can still make big plans for our careers and personal lives, and we can even include retirement plans and estate plans in the mix of the things that we want to accomplish, but our service to God and Christ must come first. 

In order to do all these things, we need a plan. We are told in Proverbs 16:3 that if we will commit to the Lord whatever we do that these plans will succeed - so be sure to do this very thing. This life, as Helen Keller wisely noted, is an exciting adventure or it will be nothing at all. God does want us to enjoy our lives - just look at the beauty of this world and you will see that fact. But He also expects us to live for Him, and this type of wholehearted service will require a plan. So, make one! As you do make these plans, make sure that you are doing so according to His revealed will already contained within Scripture, and be sure to pray for His guidance, as well as for His interventions when your plans are not what He wants.

If we will do all these things, we will have a meaningful life indeed. And someday, there will be Heaven! But this great reward for the faithful must be planned for, just like everything else we have accomplished in our life that has been worthwhile. Are you making plans? Are you including God in those plans? If so, get ready for an exciting and meaningful life that will remain exciting and meaningful until you draw that last physical breath. Heaven awaits! So, too, does an exciting existence until then. Both will become achievable with God's help and our careful planning.