You may have heard the old Yiddish saying “Man plans, God laughs.” This saying is intended to illustrate the futility of man-made plans. The Bible doesn’t say that God laughs at our attempts to plan our own way, but it does say that He directs our steps. Goal setting is desirable. It is important to have a plan for our lives. We all need to “devise our own way” to an extent. More important than having a plan, however, is understanding that without God, no plan we devise will come to fruition. Without His direction, any plan we make will fail. It is imperative that we understand that every gift, every good thing that allows us to succeed, comes from God. Until we understand that and accept that fact, our plans will be fruitless.
And we pray:
Father, I know that every good thing comes from Your Essence, Hallelujah! You have blessed every gift and skill I possess. Any success I have is because of You. I need You in every aspect of my life. I need Your strength and Your guidance. I need You to guide my steps in every facet of my life. As I make goals, I ask You to direct me in the way I should go. I trust Your plan for my life and I put myself into Your hands. Amen.
Breaking Down the Key Parts of Proverbs 16:9
#1 “In their hearts…”
In most places where the heart is mentioned in Scripture, it is not looked upon kindly. Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it” (Jer 17:9)? Mark 7:21-22 says, “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.” Just follow your heart may work for Disney, but it is terrible advice for the believer.
#2 “…humans plan their course,”
It is right to plan to a certain extent; what is for dinner tonight? When will I finish my work? But the kind of planning that is not good is the arrogant kind that desires its own way and has expectations for how things are going to go. This is essentially taking on God’s job. James 4:13-17 calls it “boasting about tomorrow.”
#3 “but the Lord establishes their steps.”
What is going to happen is what God wants to happen. Seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness (Mt 6:25-34), don’t worry for tomorrow, live in his presence right now, and watch him unfold his perfect plan before you. This means live according to his principles in his Word, and lay down your life for him and for his Kingdom. You cannot even imagine what he has in store for those who trust in him.