Poor Planning
Imagine you’re packing for a trip. What kind of traveler are you? Are you Person A: finishing laundry at the last minute, tossing a few things into a bag, hoping you packed enough, and arriving at the airport just in time to catch your flight? Or are you more like Person B: bags packed days in advance, arriving with plenty of wiggle room, clearing security early, and even walking all the way to the gate just to make sure it’s there before finding a way to fill the extra hours?
In my family, both “persons” are well represented, which has led to plenty of running jokes over the years. While I’m probably closer to Person A, there are definitely several “Person Bs” in my life who work hard to keep me on schedule.
Although this didn’t happen to me personally, one particular story captures this contrast perfectly. Before a trip to a friend’s wedding, a very committed Person B (a “planner”) repeatedly urged Person A (who was not so much a “planner”) to pack early and get organized. Person A brushed it off, insisting everything would be fine, while Person B criticized the last-minute approach as “poor planning.”
Fast forward to the road trip – just one hour from the destination – when Person A suddenly panicked: “I FORGOT MY SUIT FOR THE WEDDING!” Poor planning, indeed.
Thankfully, Person B jumped into action, looked online for a department store near their destination, called ahead and was able to order everything needed in the correct sizes. They arrived to the store, picked up the clothes (which fit perfectly), and still made it to the wedding on time.
Sometimes, we may believe we can “do it all” on our own, thinking we have everything under control – until we realize we’ve been relying solely on our own strength and overlooked important details because we did not humble ourselves.
Let's look at a situation in the Bible where someone acted before considering all the details – and then realized it might be too late to change course.
In Ezra 1–7, we see how God moves the hearts of the Persian kings – especially Cyrus and Artaxerxes – to allow the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem, rebuild the temple, and restore proper worship according to the Law of Moses. Ezra 8 opens with a careful counting of the people who went with Ezra back to Jerusalem. As he takes detailed account of who is coming with him, he realizes that there are no Levites among them. The Levites were crucial to temple worship, as they were responsible for sacrifices and service in the temple. Since they were returning to Jerusalem to restore proper worship, Ezra wanted to do this exactly the way God had commanded. So, he sent men to bring back Levites to their camp, and once they arrived, they set out on their journey.
At this point, we can see Ezra may be sweating a little as he wrestles with his own insecurity: Did I have poor planning? We read in chapter 8 that Ezra proclaimed a fast at the river of Ahava so the people might humble themselves before God to seek protection over their journey (Ezra 8:21). Ezra then chronicles: “For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, ‘The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who abandon Him.’ So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our pleading” (8:22-23).
I can imagine the conversation going something like this: the people come to Ezra and say, “Okay! We are all ready to go. Will we have someone to keep us safe on the dangerous journey back to Jerusalem?”
And Ezra responds, “Well… I already told the king that God would protect us, so I feel embarrassed to go back and ask for military support – especially because I previously told the king that God would protect us! We need to humble ourselves and fast before this trip. God has brought us this far, and He will still stay faithful.”
What do you think? Was this poor planning on Ezra’s part? Is trusting God ever the wrong decision?
Absolutely not. One can speculate that Ezra may have felt more confident when he first declined the extra military accompaniment, and then later experienced a momentary lapse of strength, wavering in his faith for a moment. Yet… the text and his subsequent actions show his heart was in the right place. Ezra knew God would bless their journey and give them the strength to make it to Jerusalem, and the temple would be restored. And did He?
Ezra 8:31 reads, “Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way.”
Were there problems on the journey of Ezra and the rest of the Jewish exiles returning to their homeland? Yes. But in the end, did their faith falter? No. Ezra reminds us that “the hand of our God was over us,” despite the troubles they encountered.
The world may say, “Trusting God? That sounds like poor planning.” But He is the One in whom we can place our faith – no matter the outcome.
Written by Hannah, Life in Messiah Staff Member
Are you more of a “Person A” or “Person B” when it comes to planning – and how does that affect your trust in God?
Ezra fasted and humbled himself before God. What might that look like in your own life when facing uncertainty?
Are you facing moments of uncertainty today, doubt, or unexpected trials? Life in Messiah’s newest publication: Where is God in Fearful Times – Encouragement from Exodus is now available for a small donation through our website. This book, authored by Life in Messiah Global Ambassador Wes Taber, has a central message of encouragement and reassurance that God is present and active even in the most uncertain moments of life… and that He is at work – whether seen or unseen – for our good and His glory.