Man's Plan

"Lot and his two daughters left Zoar

and settled in the mountains, 

for he was afraid to stay in Zoar.

He and his two daughters lived in a cave.

One day the older daughter said to the younger,

'Our father is old,

and there is no man around here to give us children--

as is the custom all over the earth.

Let's get our father to drink wine

and then sleep with him

and preserve our family line through our father.'"

Genesis 19:30-32

He took matters into his own hands.  When it seemed God wasn't going to follow through on His promise to give him a child, he and his wife came up with their own means to reach that end.  Soon a son was born to his wife's Egyptian slave, and an entire race of people who would be hostile toward the nation of Israel was born.  (Genesis 16)

Another man simply ran away from God's plan.  Refusing to go tell a hostile group of people it was time to repent and turn to God, this prophet chose a path in the opposite direction in order to avoid the terrifying call God had placed on his life. (Jonah 1)

This new king defiantly did things his way instead of God's.  If the Lord said to run, he would walk.  If it was expected that he stop, this man would go.  So, on the occasion of a great battle, it was no surprise that the first anointed king of the people of God would do the opposite of what He instructed: capturing the enemy king, sparing the best of the flocks, and keeping everything that was good for himself. (1 Samuel 15)

Abram, Jonah and Saul were all sinful men, just look you and me.  Even though God had a good plan for their lives, they each chose to follow their own plan on at least one occasion.  God also has a good plan for my life, but when things don't go as I think they should or progress as quickly as I'd like, I am tempted to do as these men did and take matters into my own hands.  Unfortunately, there are consequences to following my plan instead of God's.

Far Reaching

I have often heard this excuse for living in sin: "It doesn't hurt anyone but me, so let me live my life my way!"

While it's easy to convince myself that my own sin only affects me, the truth is that my stubborn refusal to agree to God's ways have far-reaching consequences.  In the case of Lot's daughters, the offspring that came from their incestuous relationship resulted in two people groups who became the unconquered enemies of Israel.  Moses was later forbidden to attack the Moabites and Ammonites because of their family connection that can be traced back to the ill-conceived plan of Lot's daughters to continue their family line. (Deuteronomy 2:9 and 19)

Not only did these two groups of people present a threat to the welfare of the nation of Israel, they were also a source of idolatry.  Moab led the Israelites into sexual immorality and Baal worship (Numbers 25:1-3) and both nations hired Balaam to bring a curse upon the Israelites, forever banishing them from the assembly of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 23:3-6, notable exception to be Ruth)  The actions of these two girls wrought trouble for the people of God that they could have never foreseen.

In the same way, my choice to follow my sin nature instead of the leading of the Spirit of God results in consequences that touch the lives of many.  Choosing my way instead of God's will always carries a high cost.  Instead of following in the footsteps of Lot's daughters, I can wait on the Lord who has a much better solution to the dilemma in which I now find myself.  His way may not come in my time or within my frame of understanding, but I can count on it to bless those who follow Him.

Choosing my plan over God's affects more than just me.

Manipulation and Deception

"I need a sale today to get my kids some clothes for school."

"The price doesn't matter; it's all about the payments.  Who cares of it costs $5000 less if the payments are not affordable?"

"We knew it had that problem.  That is why it's priced so low."

"Today is the final day of this sale.  Tomorrow the prices go up."

Car salesmen are known for their slick sales pitches and crafty come-backs, all with the goal of making a sale.  Instead of looking out for the best interest of their customers, they often are only concerned with their own bottom line.

In order to make a sale, people often end up using others as a means to an end.  While they may care enough to provide good customer service, the bottom line is that they can't make a living if people don't make a purchase.  It is not so different for me when I choose to follow my own plan instead of waiting on God to reveal His design.  In order for me to put my idea into practice, I will most likely need to use someone to accomplish my means.

Just as Lot found himself as a pawn in his daughters' scheme, the plan of man always requires manipulation and deception. When I don't have the funds to take a much-needed vacation, for example, I can either wait on the Lord to provide or I can convince my husband to take some money out of our emergency savings.

Or when I'm tired of waiting for physical healing under my doctor's care, I can either draw from the well of living water to help me carry on or I can search out someone who will tell me the news I want to hear and administer an alternative cure.

Or when the monotony of day-to-day life is getting me down, I can go the the Lord for a boost of my morale or I can badger my husband for an expensive makeover that I think will give me a new attitude.

Choosing my plan over God's means I'll need to use people as pawns to get what I want.

Values Compromised

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."  This well-known saying implies that in times of trouble, morality goes out the window.  This seems to be the case in today's scripture passage.  As Lot's daughters considered the unthinkable, they adopted the morality of the world in which they had lived.  

Sodom had just been destroyed for the pride, gluttony, laziness, and sexual immorality of her people.  (Ezekiel 16:49-50)  Since Lot had raised his family in the shadow of this kind of detestable atmosphere, his impressionable daughters had taken on these same kinds of attitudes and beliefs.  While they may have never come up with such a scheme on their own, the influence of those they lived around gave them depraved ideas.

When I let my eyes stray from God's perfect, prosperous plan for my life, I tend to drift toward options that appeal to the world but go against God's standards.  Adopting the world's ways as my own means I will compromise the principles He has taught me.

Choosing my plan over God's means I'll concede to the values of the world.

There is no doubt that God has a beneficial plan for my life.  Most of the time, however, that plan does not follow my time table or the take the path I had in mind.  For these reasons, I tend to try to find my own way.  Walking my own path, however, carries with it far-reaching consequences, necessitates the use of people as pawns, and involves the compromise of the values which God has instilled in me.  Therefore, it is always better to wait for God's plan than to take matters into my own hands.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God even when everything seems to be going wrong.

When do I give up hope when I'm tired of waiting?

How do I use people to get what I want?