When I first got saved I used to think, "If God had planned everything why should I bother to plan? If everything that happens is according to God’s will and purposes why should I bother to even think of planning?"

That kind of thinking has many problems.

Number one: Whilst God is sovereign not everything that happens on Earth is according to his will. That is one of the reasons we pray saying "let your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven." If God's will is always done on Earth we don't need to pray that prayer. Do we? For those who want to argue think about this: It is God’s will for everyone to be saved, right? Yes it is. Will everyone be saved? No. Some people will go against God’s will and end up without a relationship with him. It is their choice once they hear the Gospel; to accept and be saved or to reject it and be condemned. I can expand on this and go on but this is not the purpose of the book!

Number two: God is sovereign - that means you cannot tell him what to do. It does not mean everything that happens is God's plan. We need to realise there is an enemy that prowls around and tries to destabilise God’s plan for us. However because God is sovereign and he loves us, he is able to use whatever circumstances that happen to us for a good cause. It does not mean he is the one who brings everything; it simply means he is able to make it work together for our good.

Another thing that was wrong with my thinking was that I did not stop to consider that if God plans and the Scriptures bear witness that he plans and I am God’s child; then I should be like my Father and plan, too.

Planning is extremely necessary for everyone and that includes the Believers. We must plan for our future, for our finance, for the family, for discipleship, for Bible Study, Giving, etc. The differences between us and somebody who does not know God are that in the area of planning I must enquire about God's plan for me.