April 24 Sounds like A Plan.

April 24

Sounds Like a Plan

Lu 12:18 …I will pull down my barns, and build greater;

and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

 

It is not often you find a young man who has taken time to think about the future in as much detail as he was explaining to me.

“I plan to join the Air Force and sign up for Air Traffic Control school.  That will give me the education and practical experience I need. When I get out of the Air Force I will get a job at some small airport like Akron, or Tulsa. After a few years’ experience there I should be ready for a medium sized airport like Houston or Cleveland. Then when I am about 5 -10 years from retirement I want to move to O’Hare in Chicago or JFK in New York. Those are really top of the line places. But air traffic controlers there can only take that much stress for about 5 to 10 years. So when that happens I will retire with a nice retirement income.”  

Like I said it was a remarkable detailed plan. It would have worked out too if he had not flunked out of the Air traffic control program! 

Charles Guiteau also had a plan. After the election of President Garfield, Charles lined up for one of the jobs presidents used to hand out to people. For whatever reason Garfield told him “No” on the first, second and third attempt to get a patronage position. That is when Charles came up with his ingenious plan. He knew the president and vice president had opposing views on patronage, so if Charles shot Garfield, then the vice president would give him a job! That didn’t work out so well either.

“How do you make God laugh?” is a question from Stockar McDougal, a former Lions football player. My wife found the question in a hard to find book entitled “The Men of Sunday” which tells of the faith of NFL players. The answer to the question “How do you make God laugh?” is to tell Him what your plans are.

The Bible is filled with examples of people who had made their plans without any thought of God. Jonah tried to get away from God in a ship. Saul was on his way to Damascus with plans to arrest and or kill Christians. Pharaoh planned to stop the Israelites from leaving by sending out the mightiest army on earth at that time.  Lot went to Sodom to get rich but the last we hear about him he was homeless and drunk in a cave with two pregnant daughters.

Our opening verse is the story of the man who had things planned out. He was a very successful farmer.  His fields yielded abundantly. His barns were filled and he planned to build bigger ones to hold his abundant harvests. He was planning for his retirement when he could sit back, take it easy and eat, drink, and be merry.  So where is the problem. 

If a person works hard, is successful and makes a pile of money shouldn’t they get the benefit of their hard work, and enjoy retirement?  Well of course but in this parable Christ is responding to a question from the crowd that was gathered around him.

Lu 12:13 ¶ And one of the company said unto him, Master,

speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

Christ refused to get involved in the family squabble, but knew the problem was covetousness, and responded.

Lu 12:5 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

The parable he then used as an illustration was to show how foolish it is to try to gather enough things for happiness. About the time the rich farmer was planning to build bigger he died.

Christ was explaining that covetousness may drive you to gather wealth and things, but will never provide happiness. Happiness is not a destination, but a method of travel. But seriously what did the farmer in the parable do wrong. If you turn to the passage in Luke 12:17-19 you will find the following words.

He..himself..I..I..my..he..I..I..my..I..my..thine

His wealth and future plans did not include any thought of God.  

Belshazzar was having a great party, wine was flowing, concubines were there, things were luxurious, with golden goblets, and all that rich people do at the king's palace. But then the finger of a man’s hand wrote on the wall and that night Belshazzar was dead. (Dan 5:30) He had not considered God either.

So what is the lesson we should learn today? It is not that we should not plan. It is not that wealth is sinful. It is not that hard work has its rewards.  The lesson is that we need to include God in our plans, or rather seek to learn what His plans are for us. God can use all kinds of people, as long as they place God first, seek His will, and their business deals and hard work do not become the goals of their lives.

As we plan may we all be sensitive to God’s leading. May we have faith to follow what he wants, even if it looks like we are missing out on a great deal. We may just be missing a pile of trouble we did not see coming.

James says it well and is the thought that we should remember and meditate on today.

 

Jas 4:13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 4 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.