Plans And Realities

Proverbs 16:1-9 (Amplified Bible)

1THE PLANS of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man, but from the Lord comes the [wise] answer of the tongue.

2All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits (the thoughts and intents of the heart).

3Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.

4The Lord has made everything [to accommodate itself and contribute] to its own end and His own purpose--even the wicked [are fitted for their role] for the day of calamity and evil.

5Everyone proud and arrogant in heart is disgusting, hateful, and exceedingly offensive to the Lord; be assured [I pledge it] they will not go unpunished.

6By mercy and love, truth and fidelity [to God and man--not by sacrificial offerings], iniquity is purged out of the heart, and by the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord men depart from and avoid evil.

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

8Better is a little with righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation and right standing with God) than great revenues with injustice.

9A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

Reflection of Bee:

We often heard the saying, "Failure to plan is planning to fail". Tonight we learn some important aspects about planning from the above passage:
1. If we give our works and plans to God, He will cause us to plan and work in the way He desires and thus we will succeed (v3).
2. If our lives are pleasing to God, He will make our enemies be at peace with us (v7).
3. God is the one who will guide us to walk in the right path towards our plans (v9).

These promises are very appropriate for our work and personal life situations. They explain why we often fail in our plans. If we have enemies, we need to ensure our life is pleasing to God to have none.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for reminding me that I need to commit my works and plans to You and let You take charge.
I pray You will guide me in how I should reply to those below and above me at work so that I can get my works done without offending anyone.
I pray that even my enemies will make peace with me as I live my life to please You.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.