819 Planning And Wisdom - Proverbs 16:25

Are you a planner? Do you always have a plan?   I want to always have a plan. If I don't have a plan, then my next action is to make a plan. What seems right to us, often, is simply wrong. It won't produce the outcome we desire. Our minds tend to choose the opposite of what God wants and what God is doing. According to this verse, left to myself, I will always choose the way of death, or the dead end.   Do you realize that? Often, we go through life making our choices. We can get in the habit of listening to ourselves and the media. But when we listen to God, when we choose what he would have for us, then we begin to move toward life.   How can we deal with this? We have to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit. Begin by punching in. Say "Here I am, Lord. What would you have me to do?"   Once we pray that prayer, the Lord begins to speak. He will direct us. The ideas we get may be from him. Other tests include comparing the ideas to scripture. Do these ideas lead to life? Are they selfish, or others-focused? We can understand God's direction and follow his plan. Or we can operate in our own limited mind and end up in death.   The more we talk to him, and learn about Jesus, the more likely we are to hear his voice. When we trust God, we can get our ideas from God. He will guide us into his calling when we follow him.   Another way we can avoid this way of death is to surround ourselves with other Christ-followers. Why not join our online community. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and create a free profile. You'll connect with others who are trying to listen to God and live our faith daily. You have nothing to lose. And you can join us on the next Marketplace Mission Trip, too.