Planning is defined as an aim, intention, purpose or something that is considered in advance.

Ecclesiastes 3:1:- states, “To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the sun.” From this verse we learn that there is time and plan of God for everything that happens to us here on the earth.

Romans 8:28:”And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose”  – (PLAN).

Why did God make the sun?

Because it was His plan to make the distinction between the day and night (Genesis 1:16).

Why did God create Eve?

Because it was His intention to bring her to Adam as a help meet (companionship.) (See Genesis 2:20-22.)

Why did God make me?

Because it was His plan for me to be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth (Genesis 1:28). By reading Genesis 1 we realize that whatever God made was good. It is therefore very important for everybody on the earth to plan his or her life to meet the aspirations and expectations of why he or she was created.

During our Bible school days some of the students were occasionally blessed with love offerings and sponsorship to meet the challenges of the time. There was a student who had the habit of consuming any amount of money given him the very day. Whenever he was asked about the strange behavior he quoted Matthew 6: 34 – “Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself…”

Now, I strictly believe the inspired Word of God, but I do not share the thought of that student with regards to his interpretation of that Scripture because he ended up begging for food. He just wasn’t a good planner!

In Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life, (Day 40) five questions were asked that have to do with life’s planning:

1. What will be the center of my life?
2. What will be the true character of my life?
3. What will be the contribution of my life?
4. What will be the communication of my life?
5. What will be the community of my life?

These questions call for planning to meet the purpose for which we are created.

The story was told of an ant and a grasshopper. The two were said to be great friends. Then came some days of food harvest in the land. The ant advised his friend, the grasshopper, to gather some food to keep to meet the challenges during the lean season. The grasshopper never paid heed but was hopping from place to place while the ant gathered enough food into its hole. Not quite long afterwards famine hit the land and rains also set in. There was no food anywhere. However, the ant had gathered enough to cater for itself and the family.

The grasshopper went to his friend, the ant, for help but because of the rains the ant could not come out and the grasshopper could not get into the hole because of the heat. Eventually the grasshopper was found at the entrance of ant’s hole starved to death.

Proverbs 6:6-8, “Go to the ant thou sluggard, consider his ways and be wise…” The ant planned and saved its self; Plans transforms mistakes into miracles and disappointments into testimonies.

In Numbers 13:1-2, and Joshua 2:1, we read about the spies who spied the land of Canaan and Jericho respectively. The correct report of the men gave Moses and Joshua the right plans to conquer the land.

Luke 14:28-29, “For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it….”

In Nehemiah 2:11-16, we read that Nehemiah did not go straight into the building of the walls of Jerusalem, “So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days, and I rose in the night, and some few men with me…., verse 13- “And I went by night by the gate of the valley……”. The inspection he made gave him the plans to execute the job set before him.

Another example of planning is found in Mark 6:39-40, And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass, And they sat down in ranks by hundreds and fifties. This was the feeding of five thousand people. Had Jesus not made that plan the people would have been tempted to stampede or rush for the available food.

1 Corinthians 9:26 “I therefore so run, not as uncertainty, so fight I, not as one that beateth the air.”  Planning will help us to know what we are about.

Good intentions coupled with effective planning are necessary to accomplish objectives.

• Planning helps us to remain focused
• Planning helps us to know our priorities
• Planning helps us to make the most of our time.

Someone has said that if you fail to plan you plan to fail

by Rev. J. W. Ansah

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