Proverbs 16:1-4 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 16:1-4, which read,

v.1 - The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

In these four verses there will be a comparison from what is coming from man and what is coming from God.  Both things exist but one needs to have dominance over the other.  Positive words will be used like "plans."  It means to arrange and to set in order.  Man does this.  He arranges things and puts things in order to be prepared and they come from deep within at times.

In the face of the plans of man is the answer or response that needs to come from the Lord.  We can have all kinds of plans deep within but what comes out of us needs to be in accordance to God.  Sometimes our plans and God's answer are not the same but one has dominance over the other in the life of a Christian.  

v.2 - All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the LORD weighs the motives.

From your viewpoint, your plans look logical, reasonable and beneficial but God ways and words are higher than yours and you and I need to bow to His sight on this matter.  He can view the motives that we can not see at the moment.  He sees around the corner and He looks down the road farther than we can.  Buried motives are visible to Him that we will not see until they are unearthed and we are in deep water because we didn't take God's lead.

If we find ourselves making plans and they do not line up with what God says then we need to submit to His wisdom no matter how good our plan looks.  This is hard to do and your godly counselors are a big help at this time to encourage you and I to do so.  We need to have them in place to assist us to hold onto God's answer and insight.

v.3 - Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be established.

Start your plans with the Lord rather than adding Him to them.  Many times this is what we do.  We have a great idea and then see if it lines up with God.  Start with God and do His will and allow Him to reveal the works and plans coming from Him.  The word "commit" means to roll.  A popular phrase is "that's how we roll" and it brings new meaning to this that the Christian rolls with God's plans.  The plans that come from rolling along with God will be established, stable, and firm.  

This is what we want, right?  We want plans that stand and can be accomplished with the purest of motives.  Those plans do not come from us but from us following after or committing ourselves to serve the God who has those plans.  Our trust and obedience to Him brings about something in us and through us that does not originate in us but we can benefit from only because of His grace.  

v.4 - The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Solomon takes this one step further by stating that the Lord has made all for a purpose.  The wicked who do not follow after the Lord were made by the Lord and their actions will bring glory to Him.  How?  Their disobedience and its consequences shows the glory of obedience and its benefits.  The wicked show the truth of the justice of God and that He follows through with His word.  The wicked show the wide road in living color before those who are on the narrow path and give motivation to obey the great commission given by Jesus to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

The sovereignty of God is what we are not.  He knows what we do not know.  He sees what we do not see.  He makes sense of what doesn't make sense to us because He created it.  Needlepoint looks great from the top but flip it over and it looks like a mess.  In this world, we are looking at the mess but we trust and roll with the One who sees the other side.  We plan but we roll with God and allow His plans to erase ours knowing that His are always better.  I know that this is sometimes easier to say and harder to do.  The best things are always that way.  Let's pray.

"Lord we need to submit.  We need to plan and we need to work but help us to start with You rather than just add You to the picture.  Remind us of who You are today.  Guide us to obey You when our plans don't match up and roll with the One who sees the whole picture.  Amen."

Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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