Todays word of the day is “prudent”. The Webster’s definition is, “to show care and thought for the future”. While this term is usually found in business, it brought new meaning to my quiet time this morning as I read through Proverbs.

Only simpletons believe everything they’re told! The prudent carefully consider their steps. – Proverbs 14:15

Simpletons are clothed with foolishness, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. – Proverbs 14:18

If you know me even a little bit, you probably know I love to plan and organize my life as much as possible. This can be a double edged sword at times. On the positive side, I can see the benefits of being punctual and usually knowing where I put something. I know my schedule and can tell you when and where I will be on a certain day. However on the negative side, my plans always fail me because of the unpredictability of life. There’s no way I can effectively plan out my entire life and be confident it will go according to that plan. What’s the point in planning then?

This common question I ask myself is always answered by the sovereignty of God. God’s plan for my life goes beyond anything I could ever imagine. So does that mean I can just set my life on cruise control and enjoy the ride? Of course not. The great thing about following the Lord is His prudential planning trumps our own. We can look to the future and dwell in the comfort of knowing He is going to empower us to fulfill His will in our own lives. It’s not something we have to do on our own but rather is an everyday journey that we constantly work together with God on. This daily journey takes faith to trust God with His part as He is entrusting us with ours. Knowing all the weight isn’t on my shoulders, but is shared with God, brings me hope and comfort.

Often times when life is going well, I try to take more of God’s responsibility in the planning process thinking I can handle it because times are good. I become more focused on what I am planning and cease to allow myself to see the opportunities God is presenting me. In the contrast, when times are bad and I am discouraged about my plans, God’s sovereignty kicks in and is right there to lift me out of my depression. He picks me up, dusts off my shoulders, and regains His control of the prudential planning that I took from Him.

I find myself repeating this cycle many times until I remind myself it’s an everyday journey of balancing my prudence with God. While it’s good to plan and be organized, what I am finding is it is better to share the planning and organization of my life with the One who created it in the first place.