Proverbs 16:1-9

Proverbs 16:1-9 ESV

The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.
Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.
By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.
When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Rev. Steve Kim

God has infinite knowledge and wisdom. There is nothing that God does not know.

We want to know God's will.

We want to please God and glorify Him.

We want a perfect life.

We want a fulfilled life. We want a life without trouble. This is often an undercurrent of desire for a good life. We want personal fulfillment from our work. It is hope rooted in only this life.

How God guides us

The plans from us are from our mind. But ultimately, the outcomes are from God. He determines the outcome. What does this mean? This sounds strange. It sounds like we are restricted somehow. But imagine this, what if our choices were unrestricted? Our choices would be crippling difficult! Each decision could alter lives forever! How we would be overwhelmed! But God is moving towards us in love and wisdom. Isn't it reassuring? We can take risks and be bold. We are called to be faithful in prayer and in the word. But God is giving us wisdom and guidance. This isn't a one-time thing. It is a continual process.

So what then? Commit your work to God. Give all our work to Him and God will set our plans. Give God our lives and see what happens. It turns everything on it's head. God is looking for us to give our lives to Him. When we do this, God will transform us. He will transform us and that will change the way we make decisions. We will make decisions out of a heart of faith.