Plans

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

PLANS

Prov 16:1

To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.

NIV

To us is given the free will to desire anything we can think of. Within each of us is the capacity to plan for all sorts of things. Many of our plans might well be for, what we think to be for our good, but in actuality those plans may not be for our good, nor will they bring glory to God. The Psalmist tells us that if we delight in the Lord he will give us the desires of our heart, and also tells us that God will fulfill the desires of those who fear him. In Addition we are told if we live by the Spirit we will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. It is up to us what we plan, whether it is to gratify our sinful nature or to delight in the Lord and have him fulfill our desires. We might even come to him with our plans that we have schemed to benefit ourselves, but the answer to our petition is absolutely his. If we Love God with all our heart, our mind, our soul, and our strength then we are extremely content to have his answer no matter what it is, yes or no. If our plans are not for our good, it is far better to accept his answer then reject it. If our plans do not bring glory to God then our plans are useless and have no value and bringing them to God should result in his rejecting them. However, if our plans are for our good, as he sees it, and they will bring honor and glory to him, we should be assured his answer will be yes. The whole point here is that all our plans have to be brought to God. We cannot go about our lives, making plans, buying and selling as if we are living alone. We are told quite plainly through James, “Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.” All our plans need to be brought to God and all our plans need his answer before we do anything.