A Working Hope

 

Did you know that the word "plan" is not in the Word of God? (The terms "Word of God", "Bible", "Scriptures" as used here refer to the King James Bible, 1611.)

Neither is "planned", "planning", "scheme", "design" or "contrive".

Isn't that really interesting?

 

Because, the truth be told, I spend a LOT of time "planning."

I like to plan.

I like to make lists of all the things I plan to do.

I like to "organize".

Oh, and by the way, that word is not in the Bible either!!!

 

Do you know what word we do find in Scripture just a handful of times?

"Preparation"

Ah, I feel better now…don't you?  I will just call my planning sessions "preparation" sessions instead!

 

Let's take a look at the first time this word is used in Scriptures and see what we can glean from its use:

 

I Chronicles 22:5 "And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death."

 

What a great verse!  What a testimony to David's love of the Lord and love for his child!

So, I was wondering how David prepared, because, after all, I want to do things in the right way.

In that same chapter we find a list of the things that David had prepared:

• 100,000 talents of gold
• 1,000,000 talents of silver
• Unmeasurable amounts of brass and iron, timber and stone
• Workmen in abundance – stonemasons, carpenters and "all manner of cunning men for every manner of work"

It seems that his "preparing" was more in the way of "doing", rather than "planning"; and I believe that is what the Lord would have us do as well.

Let's make our lists.  There is nothing wrong with that.

However, as soon as those lists are made, let's get busy about doing the things that we know God would have us do.

I love this quote:

 

"We cannot create the wind or set it in motion, but we can set our sails to catch it when it comes;

We cannot make the electricity, but we can stretch the wire along upon which it is to run and do its work;

We cannot, in a word, control the Spirit, but we can so place ourselves before the Lord, and so do the things He has bidden us to do, that we will come under the influence and power of His mighty breath."

~Streams in the Desert

 

Is there anyone who would deny that God worked greatly in David's life?  We read in the Scriptures time and time again of God's interaction with and intervention in David's life.

Through all of that, David was "preparing" the house of the Lord to be built.  He stayed busy with his goals and God worked in and through and because of David, as David submitted his life to the Lord.

I know it's a popular tv commercial these days, but I think its message is very appropriate:

"Less Planning.  More Doing."

Let's DO something today that we have been PLANning to do for a long while now. 

I can't wait to see how God works in the midst of our working!