plans – La Vista Church of Christ

Planning for Uncertainties

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:27:47 +0000

Planning for Uncertainties (Part 1) Planning for Uncertainties (Part 2)

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Genesis 41:25-40

I. Consistently, the Scriptures warn us that wealth is an unreliable commodity

A. Wealth is untrustworthy - Proverbs 11:28

B. Making wealth your goal is foolish - Proverbs 23:4-5

1. It is also dangerous - I Timothy 6:9-11

2. Ironically, the desire for wealth – greed – will eventually lead you to poverty - Proverbs 28:22

C. Even the events of tomorrow cannot be predicted reliably - Proverbs 27:1

1. Yet, we make commitments to plans that assume that we will not experience a salary reduction, layoffs, or termination of employment.

2. Too often we live life on the edge. Unexpected expenses catch us off guard because we are not prepared for them.

3. Many figure they can handle the unexpected by borrowing.

a. While borrowing is not wrong, we know that it is not wise in most cases.

b. It places the borrower under the thumb of the lender - Proverbs 22:7

D. We would like to be generous to others, but I don’t have enough

1. That is because of poor planning, you borrowed money.

2. You pay people for that privilege.

a. Is it the needy getting your money?

b. No, the needy can’t loan you money.

c. It goes to the wealthy

3. Proverbs 22:16 - Paying the wealthy brings poverty

II. The lesson of the ant - Proverbs 6:6-11

A. The ant survives without obligation to others by preparing for the future.

B. Without preparation, debt will eventually catch you when you least expect it.

C. I might not know the precise future, but I know that there can be good times and bad times.

1. If I was smart, I would put aside a portion during the good times to carry me over in the bad times.

2. Isn’t this what Joseph did for Pharaoh? - Genesis 41:25-40

a. By saving 20% for seven years, Joseph was able to not only bring Egypt through seven years of famine, but he had sufficient to supply people from surrounding countries.

D. The wise saves, but the fool consumes all that he has - Proverbs 21:20

1. Therein lies the biggest problem: money seems to burn a hole in our pockets.

2. It is hard to think about hard times when times are good.

3. When the sun is shining, the hole in the roof is not a pressing matter.

4. What God is telling us is that if we are smart, we will live on less than what we earn

E. Why aren’t preparations being made? Because we’re lazy! - Proverbs 20:4

F. “I don’t make enough to save.”

1. The ants are not strong, but they prepare - Proverbs 30:25

2. Even a small amount at a time is better than nothing. And a small amount regularly stored will build over time.

III. The only counter to uncertainty is to plan for uncertainty

A. Impulsive decisions will not work - Proverbs 21:5

1. Get rich quick schemes will fail - Proverbs 28:20

a. When people tell you that you can make more money than you can imagine doing almost nothing, RUN!

2. Don’t speculate

a. The future is uncertain.

b. To invest in something on the chance that prices will go up or down is a sure way to the poor house.

3. Don’t gamble

a. It is a waste of money.

b. You have fives times greater chance of being struck by lightening than winning most lotteries.

c. Gambling is simply a tax on the ignorant.

B. When discussing becoming a disciple, the Lord urged people to use common sense and consider what you are obligating yourself

1. Yet, think about the proof – the evidence that everyone should know - Luke 14:28-30

2. Everyone should understand that before you take on a project, you plan out the possibilities

3. Unfortunately, we live in a society where common sense is uncommon

C. The wise man plans. His actions are based on knowing where he is at - Proverbs 13:16

1. Get advice - Proverbs 20:18

2. It is too easy to deceive ourselves - Proverbs 12:15

a. It is amazing how many overlook the counsel of their own spouse.

3. Get advice from good sources - Proverbs 13:20

4. The more the better - Proverbs 15:22

IV. Monitor your condition - Proverbs 27:23-27

A. Nothing disappears faster than that which is not watched.

1. That means balancing your checkbook

2. Keep an eye on your investments.

B. “We had plenty in the account the other day. I don’t know what happened to it.”

1. Perhaps you should find out.

2. You can’t take corrective action when you are not watching where you are going.

C. When you see evil coming, you do something to avoid it - Proverbs 27:12

1. It is dumb to think that if I don’t pay attention to it, it won’t hurt me.

2. Sometimes we act with blinders.

a. We keep going down a path, even when there are plenty of warning signs that it is the wrong way.

b. Learn from your mistakes. Be humble enough to change when you are wrong - Proverbs 13:18-19

V. Putting a plan together

A. First the income, then the spending - Proverbs 24:27

1. I wish our government would learn this simple truth

2. How many of you get a raise and then spend it before the money actually comes in?

a. In fact, many end up spending more than they actually see because the forget about little things like taxes.

B. Put God first

1. Under the Old Law, there was the concept of first fruits. God’s portion came from the beginning - Exodus 23:19

a. Respect for God is giving to Him first - Proverbs 3:9

2. While that specific requirement is not in the New Testament, there remains the idea that God should always come first in our plans - Matthew 6:31-33

3. You benefit, you need to share back - Galatians 6:6

4. It is easy to say, “Well, we’re going to be short this month. We’ll have to lower our contribution.”

a. But the reality is that places the bills ahead of God

b. Israel had this problem and God issued this challenge - Malachi 3:8-10

c. Christ said the same to us - Luke 6:38

5. How much?

a. The Israelites were told to give a tenth (a tithe)

b. Christians are not asked for a fixed amount. Instead we are told to give as we have been prospered - I Corinthians 16:2

c. As you purposed (there’s that plan again) - II Corinthians 9:7-11

(1) It must be cheerfully and willingly given

(2) God will generously return what you give

C. You have to pay your taxes - Romans 13:6-7

D. Necessities before luxuries

1. Learn contentment with the basics - I Timothy 6:8

2. Order your spending plan

a. Necessities (shelter, food, clothing) comes first

b. Then obligations - Ecclesiastes 5:4-5

(1) A Christian must keep his word - Matthew 5:33-37

c. Then savings

d. Niceties come last

E. “My income is unsteady. I can’t plan”

1. You can still make a prioritized list. As your income comes in, you parcel it out from the top down.

F. Beware of hoarding - Proverbs 11:24-26

1. Remember you are only stewards of God’s possessions

G. When you have an abundance, help your fellow man - I Timothy 6:17-19

1. Use it while you have it to do good - Luke 16:9

2. Again, God promises it will not impact you as much as you would expect - Proverbs 19:17

3. Ecclesiastes 11:1 - Give and it will come back

4. Acts 20:35 - There is more happiness in giving than receiving

5. II Corinthians 9:6 - What you harvest depends on what you invest

6. Pure religion is helping those in need - James 1:27

a. Not enough funds this week?

b. Give of yourself. Give of your time.

H. Spread your wealth

1. Ecclesiastes 11:2 - Here Solomon is telling you to spread your giving among many because the future is uncertain.

a. The same principle applies with investments. You don’t know what the future holds, what will success or fail.

b. Divide your holdings in many different, unrelated areas. This will lessen the impact of bad events.

2. Ecclesiastes 11:6 - Don’t be dependent on one source of income.

VI. No plan will fully protect you from uncertainty - James 4:13-14

A. We plan, but ultimately God controls - Proverbs 16:1

B. Always plan with God’s desires in mind - Proverbs 19:21

C. So where does God fall in your plans?

1. Have you thought about your future? Not here on this earth, but after you die.

2. Don’t be like the foolish rich man - Luke 12:16-21

Why did God take so long to bring Israel into the promised land?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 22 Jun 2025 20:47:31 +0000

Question:

Dear Jeffrey,

I have a question and would like to seek your wisdom. This pertains to God’s purpose in the various journeys involving the children of Israel. What does the scriptures say or infer about God’s purpose?

God asked Abraham to pack up and move to the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:1).
It is a long journey, but eventually Abraham arrived at Canaan (Genesis 12:6-7).
Then famine struck, and Jacob had to move to Egypt, and there he found Joseph (Acts 7:11-14).
The children of Israel groaned to God about their suffering in Egypt (Exodus 2:23-24).
God instructed Moses to bring Israel out of Egypt and return to Canaan (Exodus 3:10).

This turnaround from Egypt back to Canaan took about 400 or 430 years (Genesis 15:13; Exodus 12:40).

My question surrounds what God’s purpose was for allowing all these. Abraham arrived in Canaan, and then Israel had to migrate to Egypt, only to later return to Canaan. What does the scriptures say or infer about this? What application does this same turnaround event have for Christians today, other than to be patient and wait for the return of Jesus?

Answer:

When Abram was to travel to Canaan, he had a relatively small group. Even by the time of his grandson, Jacob, there were only 70 descendants. They were far too few to hold the land of Canaan. Time was needed for the family to grow, but to get the best growth, they needed someplace safe. Attacks and wars would reduce their numbers, so God sent them into Egypt. "But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession, as today" (Deuteronomy 4:20). God told Israel that the hardship and suffering they endured in Egypt caused them to become a better people. True, Egypt was a place of hard bondage, but those hardships made them strong (Deuteronomy 26:6).

Egyptians did not accept foreigners (Genesis 43:32), and they considered shepherds, such as Abraham's descendants, to be the lowest class of people (Genesis 46:34). Add to this that the Egyptians saw the Israelites as nothing more than slaves and the result was that there was little mingling between the Egyptians and the Israelites. Although the Israelites lived in Egypt, the cross-cultural contamination was limited.

At this time, Egypt was the most powerful nation on earth. It didn't even have walled cities because no one would dare attack Egypt. However, Egypt's strength became Israel's protection. God nurtured Israel by encircling them with their enemies (Deuteronomy 32:9-12). The enemies of God’s people became the buffer that protected God’s people!

The hardship Israel faced in Egypt was a shadow of what was to happen to the church (Zechariah 13:7-9). We are kept by God’s power (I Peter 1:3-5), but our faith is allowed to be tested (I Peter 1:6-7). The result is that we become stronger people, leading to our salvation (I Peter 1:9).

Like the Israelites, we live in a world that doesn't accept us (I Peter 4:1-5). We have been chosen out of the world (John 15:19), but we live in the midst of our enemies (Philippians 2:14-16; Psalms 110:2). The Lord's people, his kingdom, dwell as strangers (I Peter 2:11-12).

God wants the maximum "harvest" of righteous souls (II Peter 3:9), but it takes time for growth. Thus, the world continues until the Father decides no more can be saved. God knows what He is doing. We have to be patient to see the end.

God’s Plan for Our Salvation

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 17:03:28 +0000

by Stephen Harper

God, “according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (II Timothy 1:9), had a plan for our salvation, and Jesus Christ “was foreordained before the foundation of the world” (I Peter 1:20) as the sacrifice for our sins. This plan, though, was “kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations” (Romans 16:25-26).

When the time had come, God deemed this plan to be “manifested…through preaching” (Titus 1:2-3), and so that now-revealed plan was sent out into the world to be preached (Mark 16:15), and man’s response was demanded: Either belief or disbelief. But Jesus stated plainly, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). When that message was first preached, some were convicted of their sins and asked what they must do, the answer was simple: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38).

A study of all New Testament conversions will show in every case that the word of God (the gospel) was preached, some heard and were convicted (believed), and repentance and baptism were either commanded or simply done due to their belief. There is no other plan.

The simple fact is we were all already condemned to punishment because we all have sinned (Romans 3:23); God’s plan was conceived, established, executed, revealed, and preached because God doesn’t want us to be condemned; He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (I Timothy 2:4) and “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9).

But He won’t force anyone to believe and obey, and He has not already predetermined who will and will not be saved. If that were true, then His plan would make no sense; in fact, it would be a farce and a mere, meaningless puppet show! No, the choice is ours, while the work is His.

God does not seek our destruction but our salvation. Do you desire the same?

The Greatest Plan

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 21:46:30 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/The-Greatest-Plan.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Acts 5:27-42

I. The rulers of the Jews were upset.

A. They had killed off a man whom they thought was leading the people against them, but his teachings just won’t go away.

1. Men who were his disciples had continued to teach this man’s doctrine.

2. They could not be intimidated, despite threats and punishments, they continued to teach.

3. Now they openly defied the rulers - Acts 5:29-33

B. But Gamaliel pointed out a basic fact, when man makes plans, it eventually falls apart, but if this is God’s plan, then it would be impossible to stand against it - Acts 5:34-39

II. Think about it, what great plan of man has ever withstood the test of time?

A. Man is not as clever as he imagines. Even Eliphaz recognized this - Job 5:12-14

1. What passes as wisdom in this world is foolishness - I Corinthians 3:19

B. Man doesn’t often factor in what he cannot control, such as God - Psalm 33:10

1. You can’t plan against God - Proverbs 21:30

2. While wisdom is found in a multitude of advice (Proverbs 15:22), all of it is for nought if is against God - Isaiah 8:10

3. Where is the man who has been able to bring about a plan that is against God? - Lamentations 3:37

C. Man is too short lived to insure his plans remain - James 4:13-15

D. Man doesn’t have all the facts

1. The Bible gives us glimpses of what goes on at times behind the scene of the physical world

2. But how many of us truly grasp what is happening?

3. The king of Syria was once frustrated because every time he went to attack Israel, it seemed that Israel was one step ahead of him. He was certain that he had a spy in his ranks - II Kings 6:8-20

a. Oh, they learned the hard way not to fight against God

b. But think about the young man in a panic, who couldn’t understand the calmness of Elisha because he didn’t see what was happening behind the scenes.

E. If man had the ability, he could save himself - Job 40:9-14

F. But man doesn’t have the ability - Jeremiah 10:23

III. The might of God’s plans

A. God’s plans are forever, stretching across all of man’s generations - Psalm 33:11

1. God states from the beginning how things will end, and sees that it happens as He declares - Isaiah 46:10-11

2. In speaking of the end of the Assyrian empire - Isaiah 14:24-27

B. No one can reverse God’s plans - Isaiah 43:13

C. No one has the strength to oppose God or to question Him - Daniel 4:35

1. It is like a pot questioning the potter’s skill - Isaiah 45:9

D. God is stronger and wiser than all men - I Corinthians 1:25

1. It doesn’t mean people don’t try, but they never win - Revelation 17:12-14

2. Unsearchable is God’s ways - Romans 11:33-36

E. Even Satan, the arch enemy of God, is not able to prevent God’s attack on his own domain

1. The world is Satan’s - Ephesians 2:1-3

2. Christ’s church was founded to attack Satan in his stronghold - Matthew 16:18

3. Jesus’ death destroyed Satan’s power - John 12:31-32; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14

IV. The unusual features of God’s plans

A. God doesn’t think like we do and it is seen in His plans - Isaiah 55:6-11

B. The spreading of the Gospel by preaching - I Corinthians 1:20-31

1. Why? - II Corinthians 4:7

2. Think about it, the message of a man dying on a cross is able to sort out the lovers of truth from the lovers of lies - II Corinthians 2:15-17

a. Satan has blinded people - II Corinthians 4:3-4

b. Without love for the truth - II Thessalonians 2:10-14

3. Hidden from the wise - Luke 10:21

4. Commanded of God - Acts 10:39-43

C. By God’s wisdom this spreading is done by the church - Ephesians 3:8-12

D. The word of God is an unusual weapon

1. Able to divide - Hebrews 4:12

2. Able to pull down strongholds - II Corinthians 10:3–6

E. But then think that the whole world was made by God speaking. Words are more powerful that we realize.

V. A plan not to be changed

A. Isn’t this why we have so many tinkering with God’s plan?

1. It is not the way they would do it, so obviously it needs some enhancements.

2. It needs more pizzaz, so groups claim to see and do miracles!

3. It isn’t intellectual enough, so the Bible is called too deep to understand except by a select few.

4. It needs something to draw people in, so they offer entertainment

B. Man doesn’t understand God’s plan, so he seeks to change it - I Corinthians 2:14

C. This is why, in no uncertain terms, not to alter the message - Galatians 1:6-10

D. Salvation comes by God’s purpose and not man’s - II Timothy 1:9

Planning Your Life

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 22:37:51 +0000

by P.D. Wilmeth

These seven teenage years are a great adventure in experiences, with all the risks and hazards of unknown paths. They are tremendously important years this is a journey that we make only once. There is no roundtrip ticket, most of us according to the calendar will be on this road for about sixty or seventy years.

I am one of those who wants to talk to you. Everybody does, you know. Whether friends or foes, parent or teacher, wise or unwise, Christian or non-Christian, it seems that it is always open season to talk to teenagers about their problems. I want to talk to you as a father would his own teenagers. After all, I used to be a teenager myself, and I have had a couple of teenagers around my house.

So you are not exactly strangers to me. I know some of the questions that you ask, some of the problems you face, ad how you desire to be that person who is really needed and who will live an abundant life.

What Is Life?

Sometimes young people ask, “What is Life?” I heard Dr. John Cayce of Nashville give this definition when he said, “It is a continual adjustment of internal relations to eternal relations.” It came from God who breathed into man the breath of life, and man became a living soul (Genesis 1:27-30). It was God who established a law of reproduction of life, growth, maturity, age, and death (Acts 1:30; Hebrews 11:2-3; Genesis 4:1-4).

What Is the Best Age of Life?

Other young people often ask, “What is the best age of life?” The answer is that no one period is any more valuable than any other age. All periods are equally necessary if one is to secure the many interesting experiences of life and complete existence. Youth has its difficulties and also its compensations. So has middle life, and old age (from 90 to 100). It is impossible to obtain all the joys of life within any one period.

You’ve been asking a lot of questions. We’re going to look for the answers. You will come up with many more questions even after we’re through. We ask that you begin with some solid counsel from the Bible: “Prove all things, hold fast that which is good” (I Thessalonians 5:21). I shall assume throughout all these talks together that you are serious about living the Christian life as fully as you can. I know that you are going to make some mistakes. I’ll try to understand and love you for what and who you are. I know that you have what it takes, with a little help, direction, and guidance, to be the really wonderful, happy person God intends you to be.

These Are Fundamentals

What’s Your Purpose?

Why are you here? Everything in the universe has some purpose. Socrates said: “The unconsidered life is not worth living.” Dr. Alex Carrel gives us all courage when he declares, “In modern society, the great, the small, the average, and the mediocre are needed” [In Man the Unknown]. The part you play may not be great, nor is its importance always evident to you; nonetheless, your part is just as essential as that of any other person. So you must have a purpose in life or all it is aimless.

Remember Who You Are

Some years ago, archaeologists, delving into the ruins of an ancient Greek city, found a bit of papyrus o which had been written a comment not entirely foreign to our day. Freely translated, it read, “Youth is going to the dogs.” I believe those dogs have had a mighty long wait. Don’t you?

I confidently believe that our youth today are as bright as any who ever lived. Heman G. Stark, former Director of the State of California said: “On the basis of my thirty years experience, I’d say. The teenagers of today are stronger, smarter, more self-sufficient, and more constructive than any other generation of teenagers in history.” Is he talking about you? The really bad youths of our land number less than five percent of the whole.

Every day since you’ve been old enough to remember you have been bombarded by visual appeals by men of base and sensual desires the liquor industry, the tobacco companies, the pulp magazines, and others have given you every encouragement to yield to their unwholesome demands. Many of you have not yielded, but have stood tall and straight and refused to be pulled down. We who are older are mighty proud of you who recognize that you are “made in the image of God.”

Develop the Ability to Think

Henry Ford said: “A man who cannot think is not an educated man, no matter how many college degrees he may have acquired. Thinking is the hardest work anyone can do—which is probably the reason we have so few thinkers.” (Mr. Ford himself was doing some real thinking when he made that statement.) Thinking comes through the exercise of our thinking powers. The Bible teaches us “that as a man thinketh in his heart so is he.” “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Again, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

It is utterly impossible to go wrong when your thoughts are right. All wrong action is the result of wrong thinking and vice-versa. We are told what to think about if we are to be fruitful thinkers. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8). This is the sum of all true thinking. It is the only cure for all evils. Don’t take all your knowledge secondhanded. “Prove all things.” Read the best books, study, investigate, and expand mentally. It is conservatively estimated that man uses but about ten percent of his mental capacity. Beware of shortcuts to learning. Beware of half-preparation.

Have a Goal

Do you have a goal in life? Do you know what you are going to do when you finish high school? College? The first mistake we unguided mortals make is not ascertaining what target we are trying to hit. Like Stephen Leacock's rider, we are prone to jump on our horse and “ride off madly in all directions.”

We are like the man who called for a taxi, jumped in, and shouted, “Hurry, please! As fast as you can!” The taxi charged off with a screech of burning rubber and speeded up the street. After several blocks, the impatient passenger shouted again, “Are we almost there?”

“Almost where, Sir?” blandly returned the driver.

Failing to know the destination does not hinder activity; it only prevents accomplishment. Much of our educational system is geared to prepare us for making a living, but too often it fails to point us in the direction of making a life. Although we do not always know where to get it, we know pretty well what we want. Happiness, security, contentment, prestige, "a little love that grows and grows" — it is spelled in many ways, but it amounts to the same thing. Jesus carefully examined and diagnosed a young man once when he said: “You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Mark 10:21). A goal outside of himself to give meaning and purpose in life — that is what he needed. Jesus pointed the way when he said, “I am the way…” (John 14:6) See also Matthew 6:33.

Wise Use of Your Time

If you know anything about the operation of a car, you know that the matter of timing is quite important. The timer, if correctly set determines the charge of the gas by the electric spark. If too soon or too late the power is greatly reduced. It is exactly the same in our lives. There is the best time for doing everything. There is the best time for getting an education, acquiring basic skills, accumulating money, getting married and rearing a family, and traveling. There is the best time for developing good habits, acquiring an attractive personality, and slowing down and taking life more easily.

You have perhaps observed that you make almost a complete change within every seven-year cycle. If you will watch the succeeding age periods, you will discover changes in your desires, appetites, moods, opinions of others, and even in your own bodily functions — all due to the passing of time.

During any of the years ahead, it is necessary to be thinking and planning for the future and particularly for the next period ahead. Any preparation that you may make today has little value now. The value of today’s preparation is always realized tomorrow. At the age of twenty-one, when you are out of your teen years, the things you like and want now, you’ll not have any interest in at all, and so on during life. One thing about time that makes it so important to wisely invest in it as we get it, is that it cannot be saved or hoarded like money. It must be spent while we have it.

Make Proper Decisions

There will be about three major decisions facing you from here on. For some, you will make a decision to become a Christian, and this will be the most important decision you’ll ever make. For others, the decision has already been made. Another decision you’ll make will be that of a mate for life. A third major decision will be that of your life’s work. We suggest that you think of some of these things:

Look at you — your abilities, your interests, your capabilities.
Face up to the educational demands involved.
Your chosen vocation or profession. It is overcrowded? What of advancement? What is the
compensation: Does it interfere with your being a Christian? Is it creative?
Investigate. Read pamphlets. Talk to people. Take an aptitude test. Try out some
occupations in which you have an interest. Work in the summer and other vocations where
you think you’d like to work.

At the Forks of the Road

After about fifteen years on the main road of the journey of life, we come to the forks of the road. It is here that we are in danger of becoming bewildered. Your entire future life will be affected by the decision. Jesus talked of two ways (Matthew 7:13). The first of those roads is the hard way. It is not only rough and uphill, but it presents many obstacles over which it is difficult to climb.

The other road is known as the easy way. This road is filled with folk who are attempting to find tempting and easy shortcuts in many and various ways. The people who select the easy way are the “crowd-followers.”

Essentials on the Journey

Every person starting out on the highway of life should check to be sure he is not starting unprepared. Whether he travels by land, water, or air, the principle of preparation holds true. He should know:

The Vehicle: In this case, it is your physical body. Is it strong enough to make the trip?
The Driver: You. Do you have the good sense to keep your vehicle in good shape? Do you know where you are going?
The Baggage: Do you possess the basic knowledge, skill, training, information, and principles of conduct control to cushion the shocks that will come when the going is hard?

Match Your Wits

Here is an actual assignment. Decide where you want to be twenty-five years hence, and write that across the top of a blank sheet of paper. Now write on this page only the steps that you would follow to get you there.
What other things would you list in planning a life that is not mentioned in the material that you have read?
Interview someone whom you consider a successful person and ascertain what, in your judgment, are the outstanding elements in his/her life.
Make an honest inventory of (a) your finest powers abilities, and characteristics; and (b) your weaknesses that can be mastered. How can you make yourself time-conscious?

What Is Your Future?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 26 Nov 2022 20:03:39 +0000

by Jefferson David Tant

There is something that I believe comes into the minds of every living being from time to time. And that “something” is “What is in the future for me — tomorrow, next week, next year, ten years?” Some seeking to know, go to fortune tellers who are good at guessing. Then there are some who carefully make plans for their future.

For many young people, the future may simply involve what’s going to be done during the summer vacation, or what career should be pursued, and obviously of importance is the question concerning who to marry.

But far and above all these questions is the question “Where will I spend eternity?” That is the ultimate “future.”

I’m afraid that far too often, eternity is not in the minds of many young people. If they have any interest in eternity at all, it is something for the future, when they get older. There are three serious problems with this thinking.

Some young people don’t make it to their older years. I can’t count the number of young people in their teens, or even younger, who have died and gone to their eternal reward, and sadly, some may not have been prepared to die. Oh, they may have intended to become a Christian and serve God someday, but “someday” never came. It’s not on the calendar.
Another problem with delay is the fact that at times they get so caught up in the world that they cannot escape its hold on them. It may be that Satan has so enticed them with sin that they cannot seem to break loose. Or it may simply be that things of the world that may not be sinful in themselves, whether riches or earthly pleasures consume their thoughts and time, so that there is little, if any, time for God.
The end may come at any moment in time. We are not told when the world will come to an end, but it will happen. And when that moment comes, it will obviously be too late to make any preparation.

Wise King Solomon wrote some words of wisdom in Ecclesiastes 11:9: “Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.” Obviously, it is not wrong to rejoice and experience pleasant days, but be sure that the course you pursue is in keeping with God’s guidelines.

This is not to say that there will not be any days of trouble or discouragement that will come. Satan doesn’t give up easily.

Christ told the story of a rich man who had everything he could want, but his riches did not provide for his eternity.

"Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. "And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' "Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:15-21).

The rich man may have been thinking, “I have it all. I’ve got riches and a good life. What else would I need?” Sadly, he found out what else he needed, but it was too late. It would have been good if he had heeded the words of wisdom that God’s Word has given us.

"Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that" (James 4:13-15).

The young man or woman who is not committed to Christ may be thinking, “I’ve got plenty of time. I’ll get my life on the right track later.” But as James said in the preceding verses, you don’t know for certain what tomorrow, next month, or next year will bring. There are two things that could happen.

You could die from some unexpected disease or accident, or
Christ may return.

Remember that He said that the end would be sudden and unannounced. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:35-36).

The words of the wise Solomon should be taken to heart, as he encouraged young people to “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, 'I have no delight in them'" (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

You can’t go wrong in following Solomon’s admonition.

How do you plan for the future without borrowing trouble from the future?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 16:48:06 +0000

Question:

How does one balance planning for the future without borrowing troubles from the future? Matthew 6:34 says to not worry about tomorrow because it will worry about itself, and today has its own trouble. One must be responsible about planning for the future within reason without imagining all that could possibly go wrong and unrealistically trying to plan for everything. We can't plan for everything though we do our best within our responsibility and let God handle the rest. While one shouldn't throw their hands up in the air and be lazy by not doing what they can to plan for the future (saving for retirement, expenses, emergencies, etc), I know we shouldn't borrow troubles from the future either and overwhelm ourselves with trying to plan for everything that could possibly happen, since many of the things we worry about often don't happen and problems that do arise have a way of working themselves out.

I live at home in order to save money for my own place one day, plus emergencies, expenses, retirement, etc. I recently took a new job that pays more than my current one. With my current job, I'm working from home much of the time due to Covid and while the pay and hours aren't great, it's allowed me to spend a lot of valued time with my dad. The new job will be paying more hours that are more stable, but that means less time with my dad that I had hoped to spend during the rest of the summer. Of course, there is give and take when it comes to how your time is spent between work and family. And one should take advantage of opportunities as they come. Before I took this new job my thoughts were pulled in two directions: take advantage of the time to spend with my dad over the summer even though the current job's hours and pay aren't the best, then when summer ends start looking for a better job, or take advantage of this new job while it's available even though I won't be able to spend as much time with my dad as I'd hoped. Plus there are no guarantees the job will be available at the end of summer. A positive about the new job is 3-day weekends which allows for a bit more free time to be with my dad.

I'm trying to take a balanced, mature approach to this as I realize we all need to make decisions and sacrifices that aren't always easy. I try to think through decisions carefully and do the best I can with what I know at the time, praying for God's guidance and trusting that whatever I choose He will work with it for the best outcome. God expects us to work in order to eat, to be responsible, and to do what we can within our ability without borrowing trouble from the future and worrying. I'm trying to do both by thinking about the future and planning as responsibly as I can while also realizing the importance of spending quality time with my dad as we are very close.

I'd appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.

Answer:

I would like you to go through the lesson, Planning for Uncertainties. Make sure you read the various passages referenced. This will give you the proper foundation and we can then focus on your particulars.

I don't know what the future holds, but I know that there will likely be good times and bad times. One mistake many people make is assuming one or the other is going to dominate.

Right now you have an opportunity to move to a better job that pays more and gives you more hours. You don't know if that job will remain available because that is in the future and the future is unpredictable. The lesson from the ant is that they work when food is available (Proverbs 30:25). Summertime is hot. Most of us want to relax and have fun, but we know winter is coming, so work has to be done. Your new job doesn't mean you can't spend time with your father, it just means a bit less flexibility regarding when you can have time together. And if you are working in the same area your dad lives, you will continue to be able to spend time with him, even after you move out.

When it is time for you to move out, it has to be based on what your income is currently and not how much you have saved. Savings is for emergencies and expected future expenses. The usual rule of thumb is to spend about 25-40% of your income on housing. Thus, look at what apartments go for and realize that you need to make three to four times that amount to be able to live on your own.

What does it mean to commit your plans to God?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 02:08:00 +0000

Question:

What does it mean to commit your plans to God? Does it simply mean just tell God what you plan in prayer and, of course, making sure your plan is in accordance with His will?

Since God directs our steps, then whatever good we do benefits the whole church. What does that mean exactly? Does that mean, yes, I have free will and can choose whatever job I want, but if God plans something different for me, like to work in Antarctica, I will end up working in Antarctica?

If a woman was raped and became pregnant, does that mean God intentionally wanted that baby to be born and put on earth? Was that baby preordained to being born, or was it just luck that the baby was born? But since it is born, it will become a part of God's plan?

Answer:

"Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established" (Proverbs 16:3).

If I figured out the correct verse that you had in mind, what is being said is that if we trust God to do things His way, then we won't be always in an emotional upheaval trying to decide what we should do in various situations. It is a corollary to "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones" (Proverbs 3:5-8). We don't always know the best way to handle life, but when we trust God's guidance and teaching, then life becomes so much better. "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Colossians 3:17).

"The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD" (Proverbs 16:1).

We each have our desires for what we would like to do, but we have to remember that we ultimately answer for our choices to God. "Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment" (Ecclesiastes 11:9).

"A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9).

We also need to remember that we don't have ultimate control over our lives. We plan what we would like to do, but in the end, God controls where we end up going. Therefore, we ought to consider and plan our lives around God's directions. "O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps" (Jeremiah 10:23). I wouldn't say things are so drastic as working in Antarctica, but I have seen times in my life where I wanted to go one direction and nothing worked out but when going to plan D, suddenly everything goes smoothly; and in the end that direction turned out to be the best choice anyway.

I was talking to a friend this afternoon and he mentioned a good point. So many people pick places to move to thinking about the benefits to themselves, but how many people pick places to live in regards to how productive they can be in serving God?

"The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD" (Proverbs 16:33).

Sometimes it seems that events happen randomly. We might even make decisions randomly. But God is able to use all decisions, both good and bad, to further His cause. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). This doesn't necessarily mean that God causes tragedies to happen in a person's life, but there can be times when God allows such to happen -- such as what happened to Job. Job wasn't even made aware of why these things happened to him, but he did grow stronger than he was before by going through those hardships.

Even in the case of personal violation, such as rape, God can turn such tragedies into something that benefits His cause and His people.

Is it bad to have a month’s worth of food and water set aside, just in case?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 01:20:00 +0000

Question:

Since I have joined the Lord's church I feel I can't be myself around my brothers and sisters. I am a bit of a geek and for years have educated myself on eating healthy, striving to eat organic foods only, avoiding things that I know are harmful to the body, preparing for an economical or natural disaster, (storing food and water but not much, just like a month's worth). Since my brothers and sisters have come to know this about me, they think I live in fear and I'm not trusting the Lord to take care of me and my family, but I see it as being aware, educated, and prepared. My attitude is very happy-go-lucky, I'm always smiling, and I feel very secure knowing what I do know. They made a Bible study for my family and me and used verses about only trusting in the Lord from Proverbs because, in the end, God has the last say so. I understand that, but I think Proverbs is talking about judgment and where our souls go and that no matter how well we try and take care of ourselves while we are alive, God is going to ultimately judge us in the end. I told them that this is what I think these verses mean. They don't know what to say to me, like if I'm wrong or not. The verses they have used are Proverbs 28:26; 21:30-31; 19:21; 16:1,9,20,33; 14:12, 3:5-8 to prove I should not worry about anything. I feel like I just need to not talk about anything that concerns me or how to improve their health, so I will appear to be more like they are which kind of makes me sad. I don't live in fear, and I put all my hope and trust in God. I know His plan and judgment are real but is it really so wrong to be informed or want to be informed and take care of yourself and be safe?

Thank you so much for any insight you may have because this really bums me out. God bless.

Answer:

I won't worry about it. People have a variety of ideas and what you desire isn't harmful to yourself or your family. There is nothing wrong with being prepared. See: Planning for Uncertainties. Many of the verses they mention don't say that planning is wrong, only that plans alone aren't going to be enough. It is easy to think that because you have emergency plans that you are safe from all harm. We all have to realize that we do the best we can and the rest is up to God.

On the other side of the coin, it is just as bad to make no preparations when you can and then think that God is always going to rescue you. That is a form of putting God to the test and ignores the lesson of the ant in Proverbs 6:6-11.

Most people do prepare to some extent. Having emergency funds, insurance, etc. are all forms of pre-planning. If everyone doesn't go to the extent that you feel is necessary, then that is their choice. "For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:7-12.)

Go Often Askew?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:33:00 +0000

by Jim Ward
via The Lost River Bulletin, Vol. 59, No. 1, Jan. 2009.

Robert Burns, the Bard of Scotland, was also known as the "Ploughman Bard," because he earned his sparse living as a farmer. One day while plowing, Mr. Burns destroyed a nest of a mouse. He marked the event in a poem entitled "To A Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With A Plough, Nov. 1785." In this eight-stanza ode, he compared his life and fate to that of the mouse. Of course, the work is of universal significance, as a translation of the last two verses will readily demonstrate:

But Mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best-laid schemes of mice and men
Go often askew,
And leaves us nothing but grief and pain
For promised joy!

Still you are blest, compared with me!
The present only touches you:
But oh! I backward cast my eye,
On prospects drear!
And forward, though I cannot see,
I guess and fear!

I don't know if Mr. Burns believed in God, but if so, it didn't change his bleak outlook on life. Foresight is vain, he said, and the joy we anticipate falls through, leaving us with nothing but "grief and pain." While mice are touched only by the present, he opined, we human beings look back on a dreary past and forward to a future we can only guess about and fear.

Whew, talk about depressing! Isn't it a blessing that we Christians don't have to live with such a cynical and defeated view of life?

Of course, Mr. Burns was not completely wrong, at least from a human viewpoint. Now, as in 1785, "The best-laid schemes of mice and men" do often go astray. the continuing market turmoil has reminded us of that. The world has difficulty taking this sort of thing in stride.

Though such events affect Christians, they don't catch us by surprise; they don't send us into a tailspin. Not if we pay attention to the Scripture:

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes, instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is , you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil" (James 4:13-16).

James is not telling us to make no plans; he is saying that though we may plan for the future, we cannot plan on the future. The "best-laid schemes..."

Go Often Askew?

For some people, if not most, death marks a cruel cessation of their plans. For Christians, it is part of the plan. Paul put it this way: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Illness and injury remind us that there are other paths for us to take, other roads that lead us to other -- and possibly even better -- ways of serving God. it doesn't take perfect health or whole bodies. As with Paul, God's grace can lift us above a "thorn in the flesh" (II Corinthians 12:7).

Sister Craig was a beloved saint whom Janie and I knew in Orlando, Florida, in the mid-1960s. Her "thorn" was old age; she wasn't bedfast, but she was housebound. She didn't use this as an excuse to do nothing. The telephone and the U.S. Post Office were her connections to the outside world. Janie and I did not dare visit her without taking the church bulletin and a handful of cards and tracts. The bulletin gave her the names she needed for making calls and sending cards of encouragement. The tracts were for teaching family and friends, especially those who were not Christians.

Before we knew Sister Craig, when we lived in Dover, Florida, Janie and I met Otis Jordan. Otis was a carpenter, who, as many would put it, had the misfortune to fall off a roof and permanently injure himself. Was it truly a misfortune? Maybe God didn't think so. You see, I began a training class in which Otis took part. As he began to "make talks" he got better and better and became more and more interested in preaching the gospel. And that's what he did. Kissimmee, Titusville, Spring Warrior, Mayo - Otis preached all around Florida, up until his death.

We might say that Otis's plans went astray; he intended to be a carpenter all of his life. But perhaps God's plans stayed right on course.

Not only can we serve God in difficult circumstances, but often we can do better. God will use our trials to refine us, to give us a sharper focus, and a stronger commitment. A "thorn in the flesh" reminds us not to stint on effort or to waste time, not to trust in ourselves but in God.

The Past:

Mr. Burns said, "I backward cast my eye, On prospects drear! In some ways, he was right. The Christian looks back with regret on a life of sin. With a "backward" glance, Paul saw himself as the "chief" of sinners, "a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man" (I Timothy 1:13,15). In other ways, it's wise to look back and be reminded of how aimless and wasteful a life of sin is. The contrast between what we were and what we have become in Christ lifts our hearts with gratitude and joy. It's as though we were dying of a fatal disease but have now been cured. When we forget that we have been cleansed from our "old sins," we forget to add the spiritual qualities of virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love that help make our "call and election sure" (II Peter 1:5-9).

To put that another way, the deep-down realization of what it means to have been cleansed of our sin makes us want to grow and do even better. In that way, it can be beneficial to look back.

In yet another way, though, it's best to forget the past -- with its failures and even its accomplishments -- if it distracts us from "reaching forward to those things which are ahead" and "pressing toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14). And that leads us to a consideration of...

The Future:

For Mr. Burns the past was drear, and the future didn't look any better. "And forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear! Again, this is true in one sense; we "cannot see" our earthly future. Moses didn't anticipate becoming the leader of the Nation of Israel (Exodus). Nebuchadnezzar didn't foresee his madness (Daniel 4). Amos never dreamed of becoming a prophet. He was a country boy -- a shepherd and a dresser of sycamore trees -- but become a prophet he did (Amos 7:14,15). Do you think that Joseph and Mary had an inkling that they would become parents of the Savior of the world (Matthew 1)? And what about Elymas? Pardon the pun, but do you think he saw that he would become blind (Acts 13)?

No, none of these imagined the twists and turns their lives would take, any more than you or I do. But as the saying goes, "I may not know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future."

And in that sense, Robert Burns was wrong. When Christians look ahead, it is not with guesses and fear, but with faith and hope. "I know whom I have believed," said Paul, "and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day" (II Timothy 1:12). Peter said that God "has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (I Peter 1:3-5).

As astute as Mr. Burns was, he seems not to have reckoned with the love and power of Jehovah. Our God doesn't leave us "nothing but grief and pain for promised joy." He leaves us -- what else? -- joy!