Day 38 with David - If you are truly trusting in the Lord, you don’t need a “plan b”

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭20:7-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When I was a teenager I had a male friend who didn’t want to be left having to go to a dance by himself. Therefore, he reasoned within himself that he needed to have a plan b just in case plan a didn’t pan out. In this case, he would have a date lined up of lesser preference, just in case the one he preferred, turned him down. The thing is, he really didn’t line up plan b; he just assumed she would be there. And—as you might’ve guessed—plan a (preferred date) did not work out—and lo and behold, plan b had already been asked to the dance. Needless to say, he clamored to find somebody, anybody who could wear a dress, to go to the dance with him. Now we might expect this kind of behavior in teenagers. But this behavior does not halt with the completion of adolescence; rather, it continues on, becoming ubiquitous.

The fact is, nobody wants to be left hanging. So, we line up several choices—whether it be jobs, vacations, or anything for which we are planning—in order that we always have a fallback plan. And, whereas I would not advise this in terms of relationships, in the general sense, having a plan b is not always a bad idea. But, in some cases it’s catastrophic.

You see, the Lord wants those who say they trust in Him, to abandon the habit of lining up a plan b. He sees that as what it is: faithlessness.

“For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not, And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”— Therefore you shall flee! And, “We will ride on swift horses”— Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭30:15-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Throughout the Old Testament we see examples of God’s people—the children of Israel—depending on fallback plans. Now, they probably would’ve said that they were trusting in the Lord; but their actions said they did not. And, as we see in the above scripture, the Lord often left them to their own devices, with devastating results.

In our portion from Psalms today we see David affirming that his trust is firmly placed in the Lord. He knew that the Lord had no equal. Let us reflect back on what he said when facing Goliath, standing before this giant with only a slingshot and a pouch of stones:

“David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!”

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭17:45-46‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Trusting entirely upon the Lord worked out well that day and continued to be the secret to his success throughout his life.

No matter what challenges you are facing, remember that trusting in the Lord, means that you submit everything into His hands. Now, this does not mean that you do not plan; it just means that all your planning is based on the leading of the Holy Spirit. And, you do not fall back on your old devices “just in case God doesn’t come through for you.”

For today let us know and understand what David knew:

If you are truly trusting in the Lord, you do not need a “plan b.”

#100dayswithdavid