Get Wisdom!! – Proverbs 16:9

Do you adore spontaneity or must your days be ordered and orderly?

Do you make your plans, then consult God or are you careful to ask God what He wants before you make plans?

Today in our Get Wisdom series we are going to hear from God about plans and planning from Proverbs 16:9. Choose your translation and let’s get started.

In 2009 and 2010 I was involved in planning two different women’s events. Both were weekend events where I, along with others, would be speaking. We had plans for awesome music, as well as time for reflection on what God was doing in the lives of the attendees. The 2009 event was a conference that had taken place annually for 4 years and one that many women eagerly anticipated, while the 2010 event was a fresh effort that utilized the talents of three different ministry leaders. The goal of both events was to glorify Jesus and draw women closer to Him.

There was only one problem. Throughout the planning phase of each event, I experienced unrest in my heart. I felt the Lord saying “No” to the events; however, as I talked to the leadership team of one of the events about my unrest, I discovered that no one else seemed to be getting a “No” from the Holy Spirit. So, we moved forward with planning.

The longer we planned the more I heard “No”, to the point that when I would think about either event, I became almost physically sick. Finally, I told the leadership team of the 2009 event that I just could not move forward because God’s “NO” was being broadcast with a bullhorn into my heart. I told them they were welcome to do it without me, but I could not be part of it. For the 2010 event, we did not meet our registration goals and consequently decided to scrap the event.

The best laid plans of mice and men…and women…are futile if God is not in them. When you and I try to operate outside the plans of the Lord, we are only spinning our wheels and wasting our time. God cannot and will not bless plans made outside His will. Plans that align with the will of God, however, produce supernatural results. We will not always understand why God says “Yes” to some things, “No” to others, and ‘Wait” to yet others. That is where faith steps in. We must believe that God knows best what needs to happen. Our responsibility is to seek His direction, plan accordingly, and be obedient.