Plans And Steps

Proverbs 16: 1, 9

To Man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue. 

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

John 13: 38

Then Jesus answered, Will you really lay down your life for me? ...

Peter was very sure of his loyalty to Jesus; he had planned his way. But Jesus knew that he would deny Him three times that very night. 

Only when Jesus reinstated Peter's love for Him after His Resurrection (John 21:15-19), and Peter received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4, then Peter's sermon, vs. 14-36), was he able to follow through on the plans he had made that earlier night. 

When he failed so miserably after all his grandiose words, Peter was ready to just give up and go back to his previous profession he had before Jesus called him to be His disciple. Jesus was gone, so he might as well go back to the old status quo: I go a-fishing (see John 21:2-3). 

But the Lord Jesus knew His plans for Peter. Jesus reinstated him to encourage him to wait for the Spirit. And we know the rest of that story.

I know that I have made many plans that went astray, because I made them in my own strength and understanding. But I give all my plans into His hand, and search His Word for His righteous principles of how to interact with the World we have built on the Earth He designed for us, and I have seen a glimpse of the Plan He made for me. 

As I follow in His footsteps, may my one thread of His great Tapestry of Time shine golden or silvery or irridescent against the black velvet of the growing evil that surrounds us more and more. 

O my Father, please help me to plan my words and my steps, teach me not to rely on my own flesh; teach me to lean only on You and to rely on You to give me Your words and direct my feet into Your footsteps. 

Keep me from the pride of thinking, "I got this!" when I know only Your wisdom, Your understanding, Your character, and Your actions and words--only--are appropriate.

Grant me Your strength to trust You enough to let You work in and on and through me. 

And You will receive all the credit, Lord; all the glory and honor and praise and thanksgiving, for it is You Who has done it all. You conceived the idea, designed all the parts, and made it all fit together to work for our benefit. 

So all that is belongs to You, to do with as You will. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!