James 4:15

"For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that." (ASV)

Years ago, I heard the old Yiddish Proverb, "We plan, God laughs." It struck me at the time as being somewhat silly because of course, we have to have plans. Otherwise how would we ever move forward in life? That was before God got hold of my plans and I wound up living half a country away from my family and never having accomplished any of the goals I held then. And I'm all the happier for having followed God rather than following my own plans.

Each of us thinks we can run our own lives. We think we know what we want. We spend years, decades or even lifetimes chasing dreams that in the end can't fulfill us. We work so hard to attain goals that just end up making us more miserable. All the while the path of our lives is already laid out for us -- all we have to do is follow it.

You see, God has a plan for each of our lives. He laid it out for us before we were even born. He knows what will truly fulfill us and he knows what we need and want more than even we do. When we make plans, we don't know what tomorrow will bring. We can't even accurately predict the weather more than a few days in advance, so why should we think we can predict the circumstances around us for the rest of our lives? God on the other hand knows what is to come. And His plans never fall through. "But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." (Psalm 33:11 NIV)

So maybe it's time for us to stop trying to direct our lives. Time to put aside our own feeble plans and look for a path that is more trustworthy. Time to reach out to the Author of Life, and ask for His guidance in all things.