YOUR PLANS AND MINE

YOUR PLANS AND MINE

Our 2006 summer conference season is weeks away from beginning, and quite frankly, it has been discouraging to me to see the lack of interest in people registering for this summer. We worked hard at getting our brochure printed earlier, mailed out earlier, and in fact, even did a second mailing this year. The net gain has been incremental, and quite frankly, discouraging.

Yesterday I talked with a good friend who is a consultant with the Christian Camp and Conference Association, and while his news was not good, it was a help. The bottom line is that camps and conference centers are all experiencing low registrations this summer and they are trying to figure out what is going on.

Today's verses for me from Proverbs were "just what the doctor ordered" but came from the GREAT PHYSICIAN who knows exactly how to diagnose what is going on with my life:

" The plans of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man, but from the LORD comes the [wise] answer of the tongue. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits (the thoughts and intents of the heart). Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them WHOLLY to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable with HIS will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed." -- Proverbs 16:1-3

I love the word pictures presented in these verses. We had a systematic plan this summer. Brian Bitler, our Director of Marketing and Technology prepared a beautiful brochure (www.americaskeswick.org). From the "world's" point of view, it should "sell" our summer season. And yet for some reason, it hasn't produced the results "WE" have expected. So panic sets in and I begin to ask the question -- "What are WE going to do?"

Then the Holy Spirit this morning hit me over the head with the holy "two-by-four" -- the living, powerful, active, relevant Word of God: "ROLL YOU'RE YOUR WORKS UPON THE LORD SO YOUR PLANS WILL BE ESTABLISHED." The Holy Spirit reminded me that there are times that I have my plans and thoughts and they just don't work. All the marketing techniques and the things that are supposed to work are thrown out the window -- I need to "roll my works onto HIM" and allow Him to line up my thoughts with His will . . . THEN "my plans will be established and succeed."

Bottom line -- it is another example of this whole concept of "I am not, but I know I AM." It isn't all about me -- IT'S ALL ABOUT HIM." "Lord, I don't know how to 'fix" the summer season . . . So I am rolling my burden, concerns, works onto you . . . Without you, apart from you -- I can't do anything! Show me YOUR plans and purposes for this summer."

What are you struggling with today, my friend? Roll your plans on HIM. I will be praying for YOU today!

If Freedom Fighters bless your heart, why not invite a friend to join our growing family. You can sign up them up right from the homepage: www.americaskeswick.org. God bless you.