February 9th | Prepared Plans, Surrendered Heart

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I truly believe God calls us to live prepared lives. He invites us to work diligently, crafting thoughtful plans and pursuing them with excellence. A prepared person positions themselves to succeed and steward well what God entrusts to them.

Yet at every stage—before we plan, while we plan, when plans must shift, when they fail, or even when they succeed—we are to seek God's guidance through constant prayer and humble petition. The subtle danger creeps in when we start trusting our own strength, wisdom, and determination more than Him. Slowly, almost unnoticed, our plans begin to falter—not from dramatic collapse, but from "death by inches"—because we drift from full submission and responsiveness to His voice.

Scripture reminds us of our fragility and God's sovereignty:

- Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

- Proverbs 16:1, 3, 9 (NIV): "To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. ... Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."

- Proverbs 19:21 (NIV): "Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails."

- James 4:14-15 (NIV): "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'"

Prayer for Today

Lord, thank You for the gift of purpose, work, and planning. Help me prepare diligently today, but never apart from You. Guard my heart from self-reliance. I commit my steps, my goals, and my very breath to You. If it is Your will, establish what I do; if not, redirect me gently. May Your purpose prevail in every detail of my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Go forward today—prepared, but fully dependent on the One who holds tomorrow.