Day 1,024: Proverb's 16- God's Plans

​​The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the Lord weighs the spirit.
 
3 Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.

4 The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
    even the wicked for the day of trouble.

5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
    be assured, he will not go unpunished.

6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
    and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.

7 When a man's ways please the Lord,
    he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

8 Better is a little with righteousness
    than great revenues with injustice.

9 The heart of man plans his way,
    but the Lord establishes his steps.

10 An oracle is on the lips of a king;
    his mouth does not sin in judgment.

11 A just balance and scales are the Lord's;
    all the weights in the bag are his work.

12 It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
    for the throne is established by righteousness.

13 Righteous lips are the delight of a king,
    and he loves him who speaks what is right.

14 A king's wrath is a messenger of death,
    and a wise man will appease it.

15 In the light of a king's face there is life,
    and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.

16 How much better to get wisdom than gold!
    To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

17 The highway of the upright turns aside from evil;
    whoever guards his way preserves his life.

18 Pride goes before destruction,
    and a haughty spirit before a fall.

19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
    than to divide the spoil with the proud.

20 Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good,
    and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

21 The wise of heart is called discerning,
    and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.

22 Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it,
    but the instruction of fools is folly.

23 The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious
    and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb,
    sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
    but its end is the way to death.
 
26 A worker's appetite works for him;
    his mouth urges him on.

27 A worthless man plots evil,
    and his speech is like a scorching fire.

28 A dishonest man spreads strife,
    and a whisperer separates close friends.

29 A man of violence entices his neighbor
    and leads him in a way that is not good.

30 Whoever winks his eyes plans dishonest things;
    he who purses his lips brings evil to pass.

31 Gray hair is a crown of glory;
    it is gained in a righteous life.

32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
    and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

33 The lot is cast into the lap,
    but its every decision is from the Lord.
 
Meditation
The steadfast love of God invites believers into the security of His sovereignty. The early church planned for simple service of worship, prayer, and fasting when the Spirit of God set apart Paul and Barnabas for missionary service (Acts 13:2). God’s grace summons the wise to see how simple plans are strengthened for sustainability when we are open to God’s sovereignty. God’s plans prevail!
 
People freely make plans, but the prosperity of our planning belongs to the Lord (1). Wisdom reinforces this ordinary teaching of Scripture: The flourishing of freely made plans is founded upon God’s favor (see 1 Kings 12). The hearts of people plan and the sovereignty of God strengthens our steps (9). Wisdom compels us to commit our ways to the Lord (3), trusting the purposes of His providence (4), humbly embracing His grace and peace (5-8) as we trust “every decision is from the Lord” (33).
 
Therefore, kings trust God’s ways in their burden of power (10-15) and the heart of the wise discerns the prosperous path of wisdom (16-23) while avoiding deceptive ways that lead to death (24-25) and damaging people seeking to disrupt (26-30). Security in God’s sovereign plans will lead to a longer life (31) and an elevated level of self-awareness (32).
 
God is working all things, every detail of life, according to His will (Ephesians 1:11). Wisdom welcomes the truth that God’s purposes will prevail (Proverbs 19:21) and trusts His strength in our steps (Proverbs 20:24), knowing our freely made plans will only flourish when fertilized with God’s favor (Proverbs 21:30-31).
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about Proverb’s emphasis on the priority of trusting our plans to the Lord?
 
-Where have you learned the hard truth of this reality personally or seen it embodied in someone else’s life? How has this affected the ways you walk in wisdom with your planning?
 
-Jesus trusted the Father’s plans, praying “not my will, but yours be done.” Jesus is more than a model in His journey to the cross to pay for our sins of controlling on the one hand and rebelling against God on the other, so we can receive mercy and celebrate a new method of our planning- trusting the Lord with all our heart, leaning not on our own understanding. How can you (specifically) allow God’s mercy to mold your making of plans?
 
Key Verse
1 The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord… 9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.