PLAN LIKE GOD - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Cor. 1-3
PLAN LIKE GOD Monday, August 23, 2010
MEMORIZE: “Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house” (Prov. 24:27) READ: Jeremiah 1:4-5 “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18). God is Alpha and Omega and as a result, He knows everything about every subject matter.  He knows the end from the beginning. God can be compared to a ring without a beginning or ending. According to Jeremiah 1:4-5, God concludes a matter before embarking on it. That is the ultimate in planning. Once He has made up His mind on something, you can be assured it is done. In John 6:5-7 when the Lord asked Philip where they could get enough bread for the multitude, He already knew what to do. Before you take your problem to Him, He has already figured out how to contain that problem. This simply tells us that whenever there is a problem, there is a solution lurking by its side. It is just that we cannot see it. God knows what to do to move you from lack to abundance. He knows how to turn your marah (bitterness) into sweetness. He knows how to reverse that negative situation in your life. Whenever a challenge comes to you, do not think He is ignorant of it. He knows about it. Ever before He allowed the problem to come to you, He had already designed a befitting solution (1 Cor. 10:13).  You will surely overcome your challenges if only you can get acquainted with Him. “Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?” (Isaiah 43:13). You cannot stop God from attaining His set goal. If He sends you on an assignment and you continue to drag your feet, He knows what to do. He could replace you with a substitute. In fact, the moment He calls you, He would have chosen your replacement should you disappoint Him. God is an example in planning. Some of us have more faith than God. How? When we plan, we make no alternative - no room for failure. One very crucial planning tip is to plan a program as if it was destined to fail. Have all the back ups, alternative actions and steps. That way, your program will not fail.  If you invite a guest minister to your church to talk on a subject, the pastor must also be adequately prepared so that if the fellow fails to come, the purpose of that meeting could still be achieved. How you plan is very important as it will determine success or failure. Do you plan like God? ACTION POINT: The exception to this rule is to have no alternative to God. He may delay but He will never fail.