My Dear Friend,

Are you anxiously planning your future? Are you confused, troubled, unsure, unsettled, almost panicky? Stop! Proceed no further down Worry Lane. Why?

You have a divine Planner on the job! And He is ever-present, all-knowing, and all-powerful! So, your merely human services, powered by your wonderful-but-limited carnal reasoning, however excellent, are simply not needed. Let this liberating insight sink in.

Your Planner already has in hand all the plans that will ever be needed for your life, work, family, ministry, and other needs. Scripture affirms He has "predestined" your whole life (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:5, 11; Lit., "to mark out or determine ahead of time or before its occurrence"), including all your good works in Christ. Truly, Christian, you are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).

Your self-guidance, therefore, is not only obsolete, it is a great hindrance. In your new way of life as a born-again believer, the only thing your Planner - Jesus! - needs is your submissive faith, your prompt and full obedience, and, at times, your persevering patience.

Besides planning for you, your perfect Planner also precedes you. Like the Good Shepherd He is, He goes ahead of you to prepare the way in which you are to go, serve His will, build His kingdom, and honor Him. "When he brings all his sheep out, he goes ahead of them" (John 10:4, NCV). So, every day, wherever you go and whatever you encounter, He has already been there, encountered that, and wisely and lovingly decided where you should walk and how you should react to every person and situation.

Therefore, here's is the Planner's command-promise, addressed to you through Peter:

• "Casting all your care on Him, for He careth for you." -1 Peter 5:7

Let's carefully examine and exposit this text.

"Casting" describes a sudden, definite transferal of something from your hands into another's, in this case, God's mighty hands. "All" - reveals this casting is to be complete and entire, leaving nothing to linger in and burden your heart. "Your care" includes anything, large or small, that would in even the smallest degree weigh on your mind so as to produce the stress of worry. And, in this text, "care" means worry.

Worry is anxiety or fretfulness that arises when, as we sometimes do, we fail to remember God and trust in His awesomely faithful care. Worry distracts our minds, agitates our emotions, drains our spirit, saps our strength, wears us down, and, if continued, wears us out.

Worry often plagues us when we indulge self-planning. Such independent carnal thinking, which foolishly attempts to do without God, is marking out our own way in life, work, or ministry - rather than praying to discover the way God has planned. And if we plan our own way, we take that duty right out of the only loving heart, wise mind, and powerful hands that can direct us in His perfect way: "As for God, His way is perfect . . . He is a shield to all who trust in Him" (Psalm 18:30, NKJV).

Jesus' perfect planning encompasses every item in life - relationships, trips, schedules, messages, education, vocational projects, and any kingdom work, mission, or ministry. We are to commit "all" these planning needs into our Planner's mighty hands through prayer (Philippians 4:6-7), trusting His wisdom and power, and watching for His providential responses and initiatives, and never take any of this back into our feeble hands. Though this may seem hard or extreme, we soon make a wonderful discovery. All the pressure of forethought is now on God. Our complete committal of all plans to Him makes Him, not us, completely responsible for their ultimate success. We may say with Abraham, "Yahweh-Jireh," or "God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering" (Genesis 22:8, NKJV), or a way of escape in even inescapable situations. All we have to do is stay close to Him daily and serve Him faithfully, always ready to hear and follow any further orders He gives. Now let's resume expositing our text.

"On Him," specifies that we should, by prayer, cast all our cares on Jesus. He alone is our "Lord," or absolute Master, Leader, Prince, Source of Wisdom, Life, and Power, and very purpose for existing. He alone gives us a rich, joyful reason to rise every morning and live a gloriously meaningful life every day, regardless of whatever is happening in our nation, world, or personal life. Why trust "Him"?

The text continues, "He cares for you," implying we don't have to care for ourselves. But we must be sure we draw our life and strength from His Presence, our truth from His Word, and our guidance from His Spirit working through our conscience or elders, all while watching for the next step we should take. That's right, the next step, not the next five or ten steps. Why? He has called us to "live by faith" (Romans 1:17), specifically, faith in our present perfect Planner. But there's more in this text.

Besides being ever-present, all-wise, and all-powerful, our Planner is all-loving. "He cares about you" (NLT) reveals He loves you! Jesus "cares," or thinks about, ponders on, and plans for, those He loves. So, pure divine love has planned, and is planning, your way through life - how to solve every problem, meet every need, open every door, subdue every adversary, change every season, lift every burden, and assist you in every divinely called labor or ministry or mission. And this marvelous loving care is stated in the present continuous tense, without designating an end. So, paraphrasing, "He is caring for you and never stops caring," today, tomorrow, and forever. Why? He is "the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

Oh, how this changes everything! Jesus' benevolent divine arrangements are ceaseless, flowing like a river every day. When you tumble into sin or folly, or your faithfulness or diligence lapse, you may be tempted to give up. Yet when, seeing your failures, He sends correction and, if necessary, chastening, and you repent, turning from your imperfect works to His perfect ways, His loving designs continue unabated.

So, turn. Now. As you read this. Your perfect present Planner awaits. When His first disciples, crossing stormy Lake Galilee one night, became exhausted from rowing against unrelenting powerful headwinds, Jesus suddenly appeared, walking calmly on the waters of their highly agitated, impossible situation. Their response? Immediately, they called out to Him (Mark 6:48). "Immediately He talked with them" (6:49). And immediately their troubles ended. Why not follow their example?

Ready to end all "toiling" in your own way and plans? Willing to be free of all the fearful imaginations that have been caused by leaning to your understanding rather than your Planner's? Call on Him now. Surrender to His instructions in 1 Peter 5:7. Completely commit all your planning from this moment forward to Him.

Then draw near and minister to your Planner with praise and worship. Sweetly sing quiet praises of trust and faith in His unfailing faithfulness and love. May I suggest, "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"? Or, "What a Friend We Have In Jesus"? Or, "I Surrender All"? Alter the words to sing each song directly to the Lord, not of Him. While the Antioch elders "ministered to the Lord" (Acts 13:2), the Spirit revealed His plans for Barnabas and Paul's first apostolic mission. Finally, with your open Bible before you, be still in His Presence, expectantly awaiting God's response. When it comes, be confident: you are moving in His will now, not yours.

This is the perfectly planned life, the perfectly Spirit-led life, the perfectly peaceful life, the perfectly successful kingdom life. Why live any other?

Following my present perfect Planner,

Dr. Greg Hinnant

GREG HINNANT MINISTRIES