I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps (Jeremiah 10:23).

In business I hear a lot about planning. Every January I hear business people establishing their planning for the year. Corporations establish one to five year plans. Individuals establish personal life plans. There is only one problem that I see with most planning done by well meaning believers. If God is not the originator and director of the plan, then that plan is doomed for failure. So often Christian business people set out to plan something that seems good in their own mind. Looking at the merits of what is being planned can look great and can even be a worthy endeavor. However, that is not the point. When Jesus said He came only to do the will of the Father, He could not consider doing anything that was not what the Father wanted, no matter how good or righteous it might appear to be.

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). God must give us the vision for what He calls us to do. After we have the vision, we must ask Him if He wants us to take action on that vision and what the action steps entail. The Lord wants to direct each step of the planning process. David learned this lesson when he went to battle against his enemy, the Philistines. One day he inquired of God as to whether he was to go up against the Philistines, and the Lord said, "Yes, but only when you hear the marching in the balsam trees." It is a mistake to reason and analyze in order to come to a decision on a matter. The Lord already knows the answer. It is our responsibility to seek Him to find out His mind on the matter. Our planning must be established in Him. Only when we remain so connected to the source can we be assured of putting God's plan into place. Also, getting that plan confirmed through others will assure that we are not following the deceit of our own heart.

When you begin to plan next time, ask God for His wisdom for establishing the vision and action steps. You will be surprised how well He can plan.