There is a saying among church folk that I hear quite often that goes something like this: “If you want to make God laugh, make a plan.”

There is some truth in that saying, but “some truth” is a whole lot different from “the truth.” That little saying, while it might make people smile, also makes God out to be some kind of curmudgeon that wants to make sure that you are unhappy and unfulfilled in your life. That saying also reinforces a notion in us that we should never make plans, because if we do God will only thwart them anyway, which is a lie and leads us down a slippery slope into complacency and mediocrity when it comes to our life of faith.

Now, admittedly, there are passages in the Bible that lend credence to the saying about making plans. One such passage is in Job 5:12 “He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.” While that verse lends credibility to our saying, it also verifies why God would thwart our plans. God does not give success to those who are devious and sneaky, yet claim to know God.

However, Psalm 20 gives us an entirely different view: “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” This psalm is speaking to the person who lives a life devoted and committed to serving God with all their heart. God wants to make all their plans succeed because their plans are based on the desires of God.

Contrast that with Psalm 140:8, “Do not grant the wicked their desires, O LORD; do not let their plans succeed, or they will become proud.” The plans that God thwarts are not the plans of the righteous, but rather the plans of the wicked, the plans of the crafty, and the plans of men and women who are not in line with His righteous commands.

There are many people who buy into the notion that God laughs at us when we make plans because they make plans without consulting God in the first place, or they make plans that are not in line with a godly pursuit. Proverbs 16:3 presents us with a truth that is undeniable: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

However, six verses later God says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). This may seem to negate what God has just said, but actually it substantiates the fact that if we commit to the Lord whatever we do, our plans will succeed because He will make sure that those godly plans succeed in a way that will glorify Him.

We must stop thinking that God is here for us and instead submit ourselves to Him in mind, body and spirit so we can fully understand that we are here for Him. Our life is to be lived in such a way as to glorify Him. Our plans, whatever they might be, should be plans that bring glory to God, not glory to ourselves. We need to ask ourselves if our plans are in line with what God wants for our life. Are we seeking to please Him or ourselves? Are we seeking to only enrich our life with the stuff of this world or are we seeking “life to the full” through our commitment and devotion to our Lord and Savior? These are the kinds of questions that help us determine whether or not our plans are the kinds of plans that God will bless or thwart. It is not a matter of Him laughing at us, rather He takes joy in us when we align ourselves with His plans.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

Greg Barnes ministers at New Song Bible Church. He can be reached at newsongbiblechurch.com; 470250 Highway 95, Sagle; or 208-265-2553.