PROVERBS 16
The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.
3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
4 The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
even the wicked for the day of trouble.
5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
be assured, he will not go unpunished.
6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.
7 When a man’s ways please the Lord,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.
9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
– Proverbs 16:1-9
PROVERBS 16 TRUST GOD & HE’LL ESTABLISH YOUR STEPS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Are you a planner, a micro-manager, an achiever or a problem solver?
Do you like doing things on your own or do you ask help from others?
Do you rely only on your own understanding or do you seek counsel?
If you trust God, he will establish your steps and your plans will prosper
If you operate on your own, you will encounter troubles and have failures
Be humble and run to your Father in heaven who is your greatest Provider
If you run to yourself, you are ignoring God, you are defying the All-Powerful.
More often than not, we do not seek counsel from the Lord. Human nature tends to rely on ourselves first than on someone we do not see. Just because we don’t physically see God doesn’t mean he isn’t present in our lives. How else can you explain the natural beauty we gaze at every morning when the sun rises and every evening when it sets on the horizon? How do you explain all the complex emotions we have that’s unexplainable and hard to fathom? It only means that there is a Higher Power that we don’t see and has created all the natural beauty around us including our own self to exist and have its own purposes in the big scheme of God’s plan.
In this proverb, Solomon wants us to rethink how we approach life on a day-to-day basis. He wants us to recognize that there is a God who knows and sees all things. He also provides for all our needs. So, why would we ignore and forget that it was him who owns everything in this world he created? Why won’t we consult him for everything since he knows what we need and what is good for us?
REFLECTION
- How can a Christian let go of automated self-reliance and turn to God for counsel at all times?
