I have to admit, I’m not very good at sitting down and planning things out before I do them. That is something I just don’t seem to be able to accomplish in life. I have a tendency to just jump in without a lot of thought to where what I’m about to do could end up. That’s not always a good thing either. Today’s Bible Journaling verse comes from Proverbs 21:5, “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” (NLT)
As I think of this verse, I look back at my life and realize I have made some really bad decisions all because I didn’t think it through first. My Bible Journaling devotional talked about endeavoring to overcome struggles in our lives, and how it is SO important to sit down and make a plan of action before trying to conquer whatever it is that is holding us back. This whole series has been on renewal. As I stated in a previous blog, renewal must first come through spending time with God and in daily Bible reading and prayers. We are to renew our Spirit man. For me, sometimes that can be really hard to do. I get so bogged down in what seems to be the problem at the moment, that I neglect my Bible Journaling time.
Bible Journaling seems to be the one thing that has really helped me keep a more consistent time I the Word. As I begin, I read the Scripture and go through the devotional questions, thinking about what the devotion is highlighting, and then praying for God’s help in gaining victory over that particular issue or subject. Once I have done that, I do the artwork in my Bible, trying to convey the message of the devotional, or the thought that God has brought to my attention.
Right now, in this series, my issue is getting back on my diet and losing some of the weight I had gained over the past 2 months. Holiday time is a killer for me, as it is with most people. I have allowed myself to get into an attitude of lethargy where my weight is concerned, and I’ve started to gain back some of the weight I had lost. Winter time is always a hard time for me. I hate going out in the cold, so I don’t walk like I should, and since the Holidays I have neglected to do my exercises with the DVD I have. So, I need to sit down and plan out how I’m going to get myself back on track.
Today, I’ve been nudged that I need to do this sooner, rather than later. If I procrastinate, or look for excuses, (there will always be an excuse) for not getting back to this, then I will fail at keeping my goal of losing the weight I need to lose. The devotion today stated that we need to make a list of steps we will take to start on that journey to overcome the struggle or reach the goal we want to achieve. How am I going to get back on track? I’ve listed step by step how to get back into the groove of losing the weight, and with the help of God, I know I will accomplish this.
The same is true for renewing our Spirit man. We need a plan of attack, if you will, in order to become renewed in the Spirit. Sit down and write down, step by step, the why, what, when, and how, you intend to carve out time to spend with the Lord. Maybe it’s planning the time of day, or the place where you can concentrate on His Word. It could be setting the atmosphere for worship as you study and read is Word. Whatever you need to do to put yourself in the proper attitude for studying God’s Word and spending time with Him, list it out. Then do each thing on that list until it becomes second nature, and you will find success, “prosperity” if you will.
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