Proverbs 16-17
Proverbs 16-17
I am a planner. I enjoy planning worship services, schedules, and tasks. Staff Summit was right up my alley. I got to dream, critique, and plan for the upcoming ministry year. Proverbs 16 has a lot to say about godly planning and it was a humbling reminder for me.
“We can gather our thoughts, but the Lord gives the right answer” (16:1)
“Commit your work to the Lord, and then your plans will succeed.” (16:3
“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” (16:9)
God has given us the ability to think critically and plan ahead. It’s not wrong to make detailed plans - in fact, it pleases the Lord when we use the gifts he has given us. But it’s important to remember that God is God. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Is 55:8-9), and he is working ALL THINGS for his glory and our good (Rom 8:28).
Should we just give up and let God do whatever he wants? No! God has enabled us to “gather our thoughts” and “make our plans” but there are two guiding principles we must keep in mind when doing so.
First, commit your work to the Lord (16:3).
Look up these verses and see what they have to say about committing your work to the Lord:
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Colossians 3:17
1 Corinthians 10:31
Second, subject yourself to God’s perfect will (16:9)
Luke 22:42
Isaiah 55:8-9
Matthew 6:33
Chapter 17
They gave me two chapters, so let’s quickly dive into chapter 17.
“Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.” (17:28)
Chapter 17 has a lot to say about how we use our words. Our words can bring destruction on ourselves/other people or they can bring peace/instruction (v5, 7, 9, 10, 19, 27, 28). God’s word tells us that what comes out of our mouths is an overflow of our heart (Luke 6:45), so do your words reflect a heart that has been transformed by Christ? How can you exercise godly wisdom with your words today? Comment below.
By: Joe Weaver
I am a planner. I enjoy planning worship services, schedules, and tasks. Staff Summit was right up my alley. I got to dream, critique, and plan for the upcoming ministry year. Proverbs 16 has a lot to say about godly planning and it was a humbling reminder for me.
“We can gather our thoughts, but the Lord gives the right answer” (16:1)
“Commit your work to the Lord, and then your plans will succeed.” (16:3
“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” (16:9)
God has given us the ability to think critically and plan ahead. It’s not wrong to make detailed plans - in fact, it pleases the Lord when we use the gifts he has given us. But it’s important to remember that God is God. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Is 55:8-9), and he is working ALL THINGS for his glory and our good (Rom 8:28).
Should we just give up and let God do whatever he wants? No! God has enabled us to “gather our thoughts” and “make our plans” but there are two guiding principles we must keep in mind when doing so.
First, commit your work to the Lord (16:3).
Look up these verses and see what they have to say about committing your work to the Lord:
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Colossians 3:17
1 Corinthians 10:31
Second, subject yourself to God’s perfect will (16:9)
Luke 22:42
Isaiah 55:8-9
Matthew 6:33
Chapter 17
They gave me two chapters, so let’s quickly dive into chapter 17.
“Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.” (17:28)
Chapter 17 has a lot to say about how we use our words. Our words can bring destruction on ourselves/other people or they can bring peace/instruction (v5, 7, 9, 10, 19, 27, 28). God’s word tells us that what comes out of our mouths is an overflow of our heart (Luke 6:45), so do your words reflect a heart that has been transformed by Christ? How can you exercise godly wisdom with your words today? Comment below.
By: Joe Weaver
1 Comment
I am a planner too! And this really reminds me that I can plan all I want, as long as I don't get in God's way and try to control things! Thank you!!!!