Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.
– Pablo Picasso

This week, as we continue our Nehemiah: Building on the Will of God series, we will see that Nehemiah has finally made it to Jerusalem. After all the divine appoints that brought him there, the work needs to get started. Nehemiah, and all the Hebrews, are still in danger from foreign entities that mean to cause them harm. Nehemiah is now faced with the problem of having to take action-— But where/when/how is he supposed to start?

The reality of life is that we have to make an endless series of decisions every day. When we develop a plan, we can chart what direction we want to take in life. Otherwise, we are drifting aimlessly, not knowing which decisions and actions we should be taking every day. As we analyze the ongoing saga of Nehemiah’s life and mission, we will find some great and practical ideas for making a plan for our own lives. Best of all, these tools for making a plan are Biblical and God inspired.

However, there is something else that we need to realize about living with a plan. We need commitment and a steadfast desire to pursue it. We need to pray up this plan and have it committed to God. Nehemiah will show us some practical skills necessary to make this plan unfold in our lives. With a plan and commitment, there is also a final realization that we need to be aware of because there are dangers present with intentional planning.

Danger can take many forms and we will briefly study this in our sermon. Dangers can take the form of indecision, struggle, misinformation or worse yet. people. This week we will also see the steps and elements that Nehemiah put in place to protect himself and the Hebrew people. In planning, we need to put safeguards in place as well. As we see in the opening quote, our goals can be accomplished by a plan, fervent belief and vigorous action.

So… What plans do you have in place? Are you committed to them, and what safeguards have you developed? May the Lord help us develop a trajectory for our lives that is God blessed and Heaven inspired. This week let us learn what tools we can find in the Bible.

Grace and Peace!
Pastor Geraldo