Is life all “by faith” or do we need to plan? Why does scripture say?
The men of Issachar in 1 Chronicles (1 Chron 12:32) had a place in David’s army on account of being men “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do“. Issachar contributes just 200 men out of a total force of 336,000 yet these men made a unique contribution. . All of the others are described as “brave warriors“, “armed for battle”, “experienced soldiers” or “armed with every type of weapon”, yet it is clear that the men of Issachar bring knowledge and insight that more than makes up for their lack of fighting force.
In Acts 8:26, 13:4 the disciples journey was set by the Holy Spirit.
For Jonah, the strategy is clearly outlined by God and Jonah is so uncomfortable at the prospect of being used by God in this way that he heads in the opposite direction.
Yes God is in charge. He says
“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
But this does not mean that Christian leaders should not carry out a strategic analysis of a situation.
Jesus taught “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it. ” – Luke 14:28
Before rushing in “by faith” take a moment to check that you have the resources and be sure that the Holy Spirit has shown you the path to take.
Faith + Hope + Love 