Week 24: June 8-14, 2025 -People Plan. God Laughs!

This week’s daily readings:

This week’s devotional:

People Plan. God Laughs!

by Karen Craig

Scripture: 

We can make our own plans,
    but the Lord gives the right answer. 

— Proverbs 16:1 (NLT)

    and

We can make our plans,
    but the Lord determines our steps. 

— Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)

Reflection:

In June of 2000, my husband Dave and I joyfully welcomed our 3rd child. After much prayer and discussion, we decided that our family would be complete. Three children were just the right amount for us!

We were looking forward to celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary in 2003. Plans to take a get-away vacation—just the two of us—were in the works, but quickly those plans would be exchanged. They were exchanged for the birth of our 4th child, and our anniversary celebration came in the form of a blessing at our church Sunday service.

At the time, I could not understand God’s plan to give us another child when we were already stretched financially and emotionally. That’s when I realized that I was being far too dependent on my plan. Maintaining my control, implementing my own plan was not the “right answer” for our situation. God’s decision to grow our family was all a part of his plan and I’m so glad he did! The “Craig Crew” was ultimately made complete with our 4th child, as God knew it would be. Just like in these proverbs, we wound up laughing at the notion that we had had other plans.

Prayer:

Dear Lord Heavenly Father, 

You know your plan for our lives, though at times it may seem emotionally, physically, financially, or spiritually overwhelming, causing us to question your plan. Please remind us to stay faithful to you, to trust your answer, and to allow you to guide our steps in your plans for us. 

Amen