10.9.11 "Great Plans of Amounting to Nothing"

"Great Plans of Amounting to Nothing"

Jeremiah 12:1-14:10
I Thessalonians 1:1-2:8
Psalm 79:1-13
Proverbs 24:30-34

Do you ever wonder why individuals go through life accomplishing nothing? Do you think that was the plan from the beginning? No one ever plans to fail, yet it happens. Why? I'm not talking about failure in the sense of the many attempts it took to create the light bulb. Those failures were the path necessary to accomplish the goal. I'm talking about failure in the sense of today's reading:

"I walked by the field of a certain lazy fellow and saw that it was overgrown with thorns, and covered with weeds; and its walls were broken down. Then, as I looked, I learned this lesson: 'A little extra sleep, A little more slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest' means that poverty will break in upon you suddenly like a robber, and violently like a bandit." Prov. 24:30-34

Consider the lazy man. I can relate to him. Left to my own devices, I think I could be lazy. I could spend several days doing nothing, and not have a problem with it. I'm one of those that have to have goals in mind, and even a little bit of stress to motivate me. If I don't, the couch is my home.

The point of the lazy man is this. His thoughts are not, "I will never do work". His thoughts are "just a little more sleep." His thoughts are not, "I will just let my walls fall down & let poverty come in." His thoughts are "I'll get to that later." Some of us have that "gift" of procrastination. It's a dangerous gift. There's a seduction to putting things off that is far more dangerous than it seems.

What kinds of things do we put off? Of course, there's the "honey do" list that we have. That can vary in urgency. When our garage door was broken, it was something I had to get to right away. It affected the security of our home. There's usually a lightbulb somewhere that needs changing, but how quickly it gets changed depends on it's location.

What about spiritually? We put off getting right with God. "Yeah, I should repent of that... but... I'll do it later." We know we should get up in the morning to do devotions... but "just a little more sleep..." Little do we know the danger in those words. Suddenly the flood waters come and the levies of our heart are not secure. Poverty of spirit rushes in. 

We all have dreams and goals and plans to some measure or another. We need to understand that God has a purpose in putting those things in our heart. The enemy of these dreams is the couch of comfort. Each and every moment of every day we need to understand that we are building a foundation for what God wants to do in our life. When we see the value of what's at stake, is it worth sleeping in?

No dream (vision) is free. Many times I've had someone come to me with a great idea for a new ministry, and it really is a great idea, but they will drop it on my desk and walk away, expecting someone else to pay the price for it to happen. There is a cost of discipline that must accompany the dream for it to become a reality.

No DREAM (Balanced Christian Life) is free, either. We need to live the balanced Christian Life, but it doesn't just happen because we understand the DREAM principles. It doesn't just happen because we read a devotional everyday, or even write one. Discipline in every area of life is necessary to this process.

It is so easy to live life falling short of potential. No one really plans on it. It happens for lack of discipline. It is possible to be who God created you to be. It happens when we discipline ourselves to follow in obedience to his direction and his timing, and align our thoughts and beliefs to his Word.

God's plans for you are not "great plans of amounting to nothing." They are to "prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future." Jer. 29:11. Live like those are your plans. Then when disaster strikes it will find your walls secure and your harvest ready.




Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

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