June 02, 2008
Noble Plans
”The noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.” Isaiah 32:8
I love what I do. I have the joy of helping great people step toward their God-inspired dreams. I enjoy hearing how they first received the revelation of their vision. I also like to encourage them when they face the inevitable resistance that comes. Remember, ”Nothing of great value is ever achieved without facing violent opposition.”
Most people will not push themselves beyond their comfort zone. They will work against some resistance but few will push through it. The old timers used to have a phrase when it came to prayer, “You have to pray through.” That meant that you must be willing to pray beyond what your flesh feels comfortable doing. Jesus certainly did when he prayed to the point of sweating drops of blood.
Isaiah said, “Noble man makes noble plans.”
I’ve learned that God honors plans that are noble in rank, which means that the plans are impressive, excellent, and call for superior ideas and creativity.
It doesn’t require God’s intervention to do the normal, routine, or common. If it is doable, simple, or casual, God doesn’t have to show up. But if your plans put a demand upon His wisdom and creativity, He arrives with generosity! (James 1)
Steps to Noble Planning:
Ask for the Counselor, the Holy Spirit to assist you in your plans. When I served as the Executive Pastor of one of America’s largest churches, I learned the incredible value of counsel. Our department head meetings were amazing as we worked through the noble plans that the Lead Pastor received in prayer.
Dream Big, think Steps. You can’t out dream God, that’s not the problem. The problem comes when you want to leap into it. God will give you a strategy that requires steps to get there.
Visual Expression. When you force yourself to express your dream on paper, it makes the dream take on a new level of clarity.
- to be continued