1 Chronicles22v5: “Now David said, Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will now make preparation for it. So David made abundant preparations before his death.”

I hope you are enjoying our discussion on the subject of Planning for a New Year! The New Year is upon us and it’s paramount for us to get ready for it. So what kind of plans do you have in place for the New Year? In order to have a Successful outcome in the New Year, you need to plan for it. Things don’t just happen but they are made to happen! The success of the building of Solomon’s temple could be attributed to King David’s solid and abundant preparation! Proper Preparation will always Prevent Poor Performance while Poor Preparation will Promote Poor Performance! David understood this principle; that was why he took the pains and efforts to plan thoroughly for the building of the Temple, as we can see in (1Chro.22v5)! My dear brothers and sisters, you too need to prepare for the New Year! Not planning for something also carries great consequences! This is why in our lesson today, we will be looking at the Cost or Consequences of not Planning for the New Year! You need always to remember that every action has an equal response! So what are the effects of not planning for a New Year?

COST OF NOT PLANNING FOR A NEW YEAR:

1. You will remain where you are! What do I mean by this? I mean fixed or stationary, I am sure nobody wants to stay in the same spot because it’s not a good thing at all. It’s also a sign of not making progress! So this is why you need to start making plans for the New Year (Deut.2v3).

2. You will begin to go down or deteriorate. Decadence will become the order of the day when you refuse to make adequate plans for the New Year. May this never be your portion in Jesus’ name, amen (Eccle.10v19).

3. You will be left behind. As painful as this may sound, this is part of the consequences of not making plans. Others and even opportunities will elude those who refuse to make plans for the New Year. May this never be your heritage (Matt 25v1-13).

4. Frustration and lack of Fulfilment will set in. One strong means of finding fulfillment is pursuing and accomplishing your goals and dreams. So imagine what will happen when you refuse to make plans for the New Year. You will just be increasing your chances of being Unhappy. This is why you should give no room to anything that won’t help you in getting ready for the New Year.

5. You won’t be giving God any material to work with. God needs something to work with from your side to perfect that which concerns you. So when someone does not have any obvious plans for the New Year, you are invariably giving God nothing to work with. So it’s time to get your plans in place for the New Year (Job 1v10).

6. Failure and Misfortune will be the other of the Day. This is one of the severe consequences of not making plans for the New Year. So to defeat failure, make sure you have your plans in place for the New Year.

7. You will be at the mercy of others or things generally. This is one of the great costs of not Planning for the new because if you are not making plans for yourself, you will be at the mercy of those who have made plans. So you see why it’s important to get ready for the New Year! If you want to be at liberty or control of things and not a slave or servant, you need to take seriously the issue of preparation (Phlip.3v14).

My dear reader, I believe you can now see the reasons why you need to have plans in place for the New Year. Enough of playing catch up! It’s time to be in charge! It’s time to run with  Purpose and vitality! No longer are you going to run aimlessly or without a clear sense of direction! Today marks a New Beginning in your life and work in Jesus’ name, amen.

Other Scriptural References: (Gen .41v34-36; Ps.20v4: 143v8; Pro.6v6-8: 16v1, 9: 21v5; Amos 3v7).

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, I receive your grace and courage in Planning for the New Year on time. Help me to do what is expected of me in Jesus’ name, amen.

CONFESSION: Father God, I chose to make hay while the sun shines! I will not fail in playing my part and role in getting ready for the New Year. I will take responsibility. I will take action. No more excuses. I take responsibility for myself and for my life! I receive your grace and mercy in Overcoming every weakness and frailty in my planning efforts. As I plan, I will arrive at my destination in Jesus’ name, amen.