God and Planning -OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

FRIDAY 1, JANUARY


TOPIC: HEAVEN AND EARTH MIX

MEMORIZE: “And the Lord God formed man formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathe into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7)

READ: Genesis 2:4-7

Welcome to year 2010! God is the greatest goal-setter and goal-achiever. In Genesis 1: 1-31, we see Him at work at creation. God first set goals before going ahead to accomplish them. He never does anything without a plan. For instance, in making man, God first went to the drawing board to plan. The Trinity in council decided to make man. In that plan, it was agreed what man would look like, what their role would be and what level of authority would operate. The future of man was determined at creation. Thereafter, God began to put some resources together to achieve His plan. “And the Lord God formed man formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathe into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). God gave man a shape like a potter does to his vessels. Thereafter, God imparted a divine resource – His breath (Spirit) into the clay and the unique product called Man evolved. After man’s creation, God did not leave them alone but followed up on them to make sure they achieved God’s purpose of creating them. We have a lot to learn from God.

One lesson here is that plans must precede programme of actions. Live a well-planned, thought-out life. You must have a plan for your life. You must have a plan for your family – for your spouse, for each of your children and wards. When you fail to plan your family, you allow them to fit into the enemy’s plan. Whether you believe it or not, the enemies have a plan for every member of your family. So it is either you have a plan for them and destroy that of the enemy in their life, or you see them dancing to the tune of the puppet master. Plan each day. Plan each week and month. Plan your church activities for the year. Always plan ahead. Set clearly defined goals. Then identify all the resources you would require to attain each goal. Thereafter, implement your plan and carefully evaluate them. Another important lesson here is that for any plan to be unbeatable, it must have both physical and spiritual inputs. God combined dust and His Spirit. If you limit all your efforts to physical inputs, that plan is likely to fail, but if you combine both physical inputs with spiritual inputs – prayers, seeking God’s direction, enlisting divine support by the power of the Spirit, you will succeed. Ensure there is always a mixture of Heaven and Earth in all you do. Happy new year!

ACTION POINT: Spend at least one hour thanking God for witnessing year 2010.