Our plans
Our plans - Proverbs 15:31-16:7
We do not always get it right (certainly I do not). But it is not wrong to make plans. Indeed, it is good to plan ahead. As has been pointed out, it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark! The writer of Proverbs says, ‘To human beings belong the plans of the heart… Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed’ (16:1,3).
Here, we see the key to success. Your plans should never be made independently of the Lord. You are called into a relationship with him. Your plans need to be aligned with his plans. Your vision and your plans need to be led by the Spirit. As you sense God’s leading, commit your plans to the Lord. Bring them to him. Lay them before him. Then God promises ‘your plans will succeed’ (v.3). What does it mean to commit to the Lord whatever you do?
Cooperate. One translation of the Hebrew word for commit is to ‘roll towards’. There are two ways to go through life. One is to decide that we are perfectly capable of running our own lives – without God. We make plans independently of God to please ourselves. This is the way of pride (v.5) and independence. The proud cannot be told anything because they think they already know. The other is to be willing to lay aside your own desires. This is the way of faith and humility: ‘Humility comes before honour’ (15:33). God has good plans for your life (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 2:10). Co-operate humbly with him, being willing to give up everything that clashes with his purpose for you.
Confide. To commit your plans to the Lord means to speak to him about his plans – to make plans together with him. At the start of each day, you can commit your plans to him. I find that holidays are a good time to plan ahead and commit the months, or even the year ahead, to God.
Consult. The Lord says, ‘Woe… to those who carry out plans that are not mine… Who go down to Egypt without consulting me’ (Isaiah 30:1–2a). To commit to the Lord means to consult him and discuss your plans with him and seek his wisdom and advice (Proverbs 15:33a). With major decisions, a wise person will consult others to check that they have accurately heard from the Lord (v.31–32).
Having committed your plans to the Lord you can trust his promise of success. God is sovereign over your plans. ‘Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the last word’ (16:1, MSG). ‘In your heart, you may plan your course, but the Lord determines your steps’ (v.9).
God gives you the freedom and responsibility to make plans. It is positively right for you to do this. And yet, God relates your decisions to your destination. This is not a reason to be passive or fatalistic, but rather it is an encouragement that you can rest assured that God is in ultimate control of your life. You need not be frozen in a state of indecision.
You can trust that God will work out everything for good for those who love him (Romans 8:28).
