The Power of Honor - Day 5: Pastor Kerry Shook
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“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”
Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)
Honoring God in your schedule begins by giving Him the first part of your day in personal worship. When you come to Christ, you find rest from the stressful demands of an overcrowded schedule. He fits you with a tailor-made yoke of priorities that align with His will for your life. No longer do you have to carry the burden of other people’s expectations. Your schedule reflects the priorities He has for you. He said, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 28:30 (NIV)
Knowing that this was a whole new way of life, Jesus said in verse 29, “Let Me teach you….” This is the adventure of faith as we come to Christ and learn from Him. It’s so easy to make our own plans and ask God to bless them. But it honors God when we adjust our lives to His plans. Proverbs 16:9 (NLT) says “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” In other words, don’t become so fixated on your plans that you miss a Divine appointment. Let God direct your steps. Rather than asking God to bless what you are doing, ask God what He is doing and adjust your plans to join Him. It’s interesting to me that almost every miracle Jesus performed was disguised as an interruption in His schedule. One day He was teaching in a crowded house and some men cut a hole in the roof and lowered a paralytic right in front of Him. On another occasion, a blind beggar began shouting out “Son of David, have mercy on me!” The people around him were indignant that he would interrupt the Savior. But Jesus knew that these were not really interruptions at all. They were Divine Appointments!
As we learn from Jesus how to live by our priorities, we must recognize when God is at work and when we need to adjust our plans to join Him. We must learn the difference between a Divine Appointment and a daily distraction. To do that we need wisdom. As you pray for wisdom, claim the promise in James 1:5 (NLT) that says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.”
The goal is for your priorities to line up with what you are doing in your life and how you are spending your time. For most people, there is a huge disconnect between their values and the way they live their lives. It’s a frustration gap that creates all kinds of stress. Living by your priorities means you calendar in what honors God and is most important to you. Calendar in God first each day, calendar in time with your family, calendar in your workout time, and never say yes to someone until you pray about it. You can always say, “Let me check my calendar.” And then ask God, “Is this a Divine appointment or just a distraction?” Let God control your calendar.
Jesus was the most effective and productive man who ever lived and yet He was never in a hurry. Nor did He meet all the expectations that everyone put upon Him. Yet, He honored His Father by always doing what He was called to do. You can’t do everything everyone wants you to do, but you can do all that God calls you to do with His power. If you’re trying to do more than you can do and neglecting your time with God and your family, then you are out of the will of God. No wonder you’re stressed. Honor God by calendaring the priorities that He designed for you and let Him determine your steps. If He brings a Divine Appointment in your life and changes your plans, don’t sweat it, surrender to His will. Remember that the yoke He has for you is His yoke. He’s teaching you to walk by faith and rest in Him.