Completed Plans

We make plans for everything. We plan what we will do today. We prepare for our vocation with experience and education. Then we plan time off from this vocation with vacation plans. We plan for marriage and family. Ultimately, we plan for retirement and death. Our plans, however, are fallible as we do not control all the factors that can impact our plans.

Job 23:13-14 says, “But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind.” God has many wonderful things for you in His mind. These wonderful things are the beautiful person for you to become and the awesome good things for you to do. He will complete His desires for you as He is unchangeable and nothing can hold Him back.

Straight Roads

When I am driving, I prefer straight roads.  Mountain roads are beautiful and have their own attraction, but I enjoy the smooth and quicker sailing of straight roads. For driving on any road, we need to make sure that we have prepared ourselves and our vehicles.

Hebrews 12:12-13 says,  “Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.” Wherever you are weak, ask God to make you strong. Remove every obstacle from your life that keeps you from fully trusting God. Be prepared and strengthened to walk the straight and narrow road with Jesus.

Good Paths

Since I hike almost daily, I have decided on some factors that make a good trail. The one thing that I like more than anything in a good hiking trail is beautiful scenery. I enjoy the beauty of God’s creation and how it tends to draw me into His presence. A level path is always nice, especially when the obstacles are few. Good lighting is essential for me to follow the trail safely. A well marked path helps me to keep going in the right direction.

Isaiah 26:7 says, “The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous.” When we are closely following God, He leads us on a level path.  We will encounter some obstacles along the way, but He makes a way through them for us. His light and direction keep us on the good and right path. We will find God’s beauty and rest when we continue to walk with Him.

Learning Discretion

How can we learn to make wise decisions? How can we discern the right thing to do? First,we must listen to wisdom. Who’s voice are we listening to and can these voices be trusted to impart wisdom? Celebrities, influencers and politicians cannot be trusted to give us the truth upon which we will learn wisdom. Secondly, we must act accordingly. By practicing wisdom,we learn to discern truth and make good decisions about what we do and speak.

Proverbs 5:1-2 says, “My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge.” God’s wisdom leads us to make good decisions and to speak with knowledge.

Limited Understanding And No Control

Right now, we are in Northern California and the daytime high temperatures are over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I understand how I feel in those temperatures but I don’t know the causes of the high temperatures. In addition, I have absolutely no control over the weather. These truths humble me before the God who does have perfect knowledge and absolute control over the weather and every other thing that I don’t understand nor control.

Job 37:16-18 says, “Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge, you whose garments are hot when the earth is still because of the south wind? Can you, like him, spread out the skies, hard as a cast metal mirror?” Thoughts about the majesty, power, and wisdom of God should humble us. We must think properly and with understanding regarding our position in God’s creation.