- We think we know what we are doing. We think we figure things out and make decisions. But ultimately, God is in control, and we want it that way!
- “The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord” (vs.1).
- “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (vs. 9).
- “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” (vs. 33).
- “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit” (vs. 2).
- God is looking at our hearts, not our actions. Doing the right activity, such as teaching or evangelizing, isn’t what God is after. He’s after our hearts. He wants your heart to be His, then He can lead you into activities to His glory. Otherwise, if you are working from the wrong heart, you aren’t working for the Lord.
- “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (vs. 18).
- “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (vs. 25).
- We have to remember those verses when quoting the following verse.
- “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (vs. 3).
- That verse I think is oft used and abused. Christians, and church committees, can tend to make their plans and then ask the Lord to bless them.
- God wants to make our plans and be in our plans, not just be an afterthought. What does it mean to commit your work to the Lord? We give it all to Him. We don’t consider it our own. We acknowledge Him in all our ways and don’t work in our own understanding. If the work belongs to the Lord, then certainly the plans will be established.
- “The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble” (vs. 4).
- We should see God in everything. His purposes are at work. It’s all being used for His glory and the good of the chosen. What’s our job in all this if the Lord is arranging our lives?
- “The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life” (vs. 17).
- He chooses us. We choose Him. We choose to do what is right. We honor and love Him by obeying His word.
