Human Plans

Throughout the late 19th century, the German military anticipated that someday they would fight a war on two fronts, with France to the west and Russia to the east. Under the leadership of Alfred, Graf von Schlieffen, chief of the German general staff from 1891 to 1905, they developed the “Schlieffen Plan.”

This plan called for a purely defensive posture in the east, and the concentration of most of their forces in the west. They planned to attack through neutral Belgium and sweep into France, where they would capture Paris and win a quick, decisive war. Then they would turn eastward. That was their plan.

Schlieffen, who was born on this day in 1833, died in 1913. When World War I broke out in 1914, his plan initially guided Germany’s war effort. However, events did not proceed as Schlieffen had imagined. His successor, Helmuth von Moltke, modified the plan. Instead of a quick victory, the German forces found themselves engaged in tragic trench warfare all along the Western Front. Eventually, they lost the war.

Throughout history, governments, armies, and other organizations have laid out plans to accomplish their purposes. Individual men and women seek to shape their own lives. However, the Bible tells us that God “nullifies the counsel of nations” and “frustrates the plans of the peoples.” Only His counsel “stands forever.”

Today, don’t trust the things of this world. Instead, trust in God. He knows the future. He has a plan for the world and for your life.