Ultimately it is ‘GOD’ who DIRECTS our STEPS!
July 4
Bible Reading: Proverbs Chapters 16-18
Ultimately it is ‘GOD’ who DIRECTS our STEPS!
"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his
steps." (Prov.
16:9)
The above
verse is a magnificent expression of the sovereignty of God as He accomplishes
His will and purpose through free-willed humans acting responsibly. Humans must
be free agents to be in the image of God, and God must be unchanging in order
to be God (Mal. 3:6). Permitting or overruling the acts of man without
infringing upon his freedom or interrupting his responsibility is an awesome
expression of God’s providence(see the events in Joseph’s life in Gen.
37:26–28; 45:5).
Humans go
to great length to plan their life activities, but God alone determines whether
these plans ever come to pass. Saul of Tarsus planned to persecute the Christian saints in
Damascus but ended up becoming one of them! Onesimus planned to leave Philemon
forever but God brought him back on better terms than ever. Moses planned to
use his physical prowess and his familiarity with Egypt to rescue the
Israelites under slavery, but God has greater plans for the exodus. In fact, God
is sovereign over human’s scheming and planning!
There is an
interesting tension in the relationship between God and His people. One the one
hand, we are fully responsible and accountable for planning, organizing, and
directing our lives. Yet on the other hand, we need to be fully aware that God
is accomplishing His purposes in, through and sometimes despite
our plans and efforts. Scripture often affirms this shared responsibility
between us (as human beings) and God (as the sovereign Lord of the universe).
For example, the New Testament exhorts us to “work out” our
salvation—that is, to make responsible choices on a day-to-day basis in light
of our eternal salvation; yet it adds that God is at work in us “both to
will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12–13).
God has
greater plans for our lives, and He will direct us to accomplish His will. He works in ways that we cannot predict.
Even though things do not always go according to our plans, let us be rest
assured that God is in control, and He knows best what we need. From our
part, we need to take time to reflect and pray as we meditate on the God’s
Word. Only after this should we make our plans and then trust the Lord to guide
us to our life’s destination.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Prov 3:5-6)
