Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. – Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)
There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. – Proverbs 19:21 (KJV)
52 Proverbs in 52 Weeks – Week 14
This week’s theme: Trusting God’s Plan
How often do your plans change? Are you doing today what you thought you’d be doing if someone had asked you 5 or 10 years ago? Do you live where you planned to live? Do you work where you planned to work? Are you surrounded by the family and friends you thought you’d be with? Are your priorities the same today as they were in the past? Do you want the same things now that you wanted then?
I think the key word in the first part of Proverbs 19:21 is “many” – Many are the plans in a person’s heart. The truth is that our plans and priorities change over time. Thus, we have “many” plans, some of which may actually conflict with one another over time, versus a single solid plan that we can trust. Some are long-term plans, like where we want to live, work, go to school or retire, and some are as short-term as plans for today. As I type this post it’s not 10 am yet and my plans for the day have changed several times. To be clear – there’s nothing wrong with making plans for the future and God’s Word tells us we should do so (more on this next week). The crucial question is: where do we place our trust? Do we trust our plans – plans that change from day to day based on the whims of the human heart and mind? Or do we place our trust in “the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.” The answer seems obvious, but putting it into practice when we’re not getting what we want (or think we want) can be a real challenge of the heart.
I can honestly say that today I’m nowhere near where I planned to be if you had asked me 5 years ago. I’m not living where I thought I’d be living. I’m not doing what I planned to be doing. My priorities aren’t what they were back then. My predictions for the future are different now than they were then. And the truth is…I’m so very thankful that my plans didn’t come to fruition. God’s plan was so much better.
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