Listen Now and Prepare

I am looked at sometimes as to rigid in my approach. I am one of those people that has to have a plan to proceed. I believe that without planning, there is a good chance that things will be missed and chaos can and will ensue. This morning I am reading in God’s Word from Genesis and the passage lead me to find that approach is not as rigid and negative as one might think.

“²⁹There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, ³⁰but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, ³¹and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe.” “³⁴Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. ³⁵And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. ³⁶That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.” – Genesis 41:29-31 & 34-36 (ESV)

I know that the above passage is a long one. It does however point out the importance of planning. Here we find that there would be times of plenty and then times of scarcity. The plan is to store up during the time of plenty to be able to make it through the times of scarcity. Planning would allow for future survival.

Now, I am not against those who are not like me in the area of having a plan. In fact, my wife Lori is one of those who lives in the moment and she is a great person and her approach makes a difference in the lives of others. What I will say is that there is a time and place for each approach.

In this same passage of God’s Word, Joseph is interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh. In the dream Joseph interprets that the famine will follow the time of plenty, and it will completely blot out the memory of the plenty as it will be so great. The people will live in the moment of plenty and then in the moment of famine. The living in the moment of plenty is safe and secure, and when the safety and security are gone in the moment of famine, the feelings are fear and despair. This fear and despair will take over fully and the people will forget about all the times of plenty they had just come from.

We have to listen now and prepare. In the passage, we find that Pharaoh listened to Joseph and his interpretation of the dreams. The dreams were a message from God as to what He was about to do.

“²⁵Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, ‘The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.’” “³²And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about.” – Genesis 41:25 (ESV)

Joseph led with the fact that God revealed His plan. In the passage, it was mentioned twice in the 36 verses, and is largely missed as a part of the passage. God revealed His plan and it was up to Pharaoh to listen and take action. Pharaoh should listen and plan, and he did.

I have to remember to listen to the LORD and plan what is next. It is great to be able to live in the moment and forget about all that is around us in the interest of not allowing things to bother or get to us. But, we also have to plan for those times when things may not be great as they are in this moment. I have to see where I am, and prepare for where the LORD would have me going. I have to listen to God’s plan and take action, knowing that if He indicates it will be happening, it will happen.

What is your approach to planning? Is it something that is left for others? What if you were to listen to what is and or will happen and prepared?