I greatly admire the work of talented music composers and artists. I have no idea how they take an idea and create beautiful music or artwork. They start with a simple notion and weave together complicated pieces of music and art. Do they see the end product in their minds as they start, or do they put it together piece by piece?
Twice I have planned to stay in a job until I died. I never planned to retire, but here I am retired and not working at either of those jobs. I made plans for the future, but very little of my plans have come to fruition. Am I just a poor planner or is something else at work here?
Proverbs 27:1 says, “Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.” If we are honest, we will admit that we don’t know what the next day, or even the next hour, holds for us. So much that happens is beyond our control. Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”It is good to plan ahead, but we always need to understand that our next steps are ultimately subjecttoGod’s authority. The good news is that He is good to us and loves us, so we can trust Him.
So what should we do when looking to the future? Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Go ahead! Make plans! But submit to God’s wondrous plans that will likely change your plans.
Reluctant Retiree 