Proverbial Wisdom: Proverbial Preparations

 Read Proverbs 16


Proverbs 16:1 is a very special verse to me, so I’m going to spend a little bit of extra time on this verse.  God expects us to use our brains and make plans, but He also expects us to submit those plans to Him and let Him make the final decision.  “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established (vs. 3).  That means our plans will succeed.  If we’re yielded to the Lord and our plans are not His plans, He will show us what’s right and steer us away from what’s wrong (vs. 9).


Proverbs 16:1 again, has been a great help to me, especially when I’ve been called upon to give counsel.  When we take this verse and remember what is said in 19:21, “There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel-that will stand” it gives us great encouragement.  Often I’ve had to make decisions about complex matters, and the Lord has given me just the words to speak.  If my heart had not been in touch with His work and yielded to His will, however, the Spirit might not have been able to direct me.  If we make our plans the best we can and commit them to the Lord, He will guide us in what we say and do.


Divine sovereignty doesn’t destroy human responsibility and turn humans into robots.  God still expects us to study, think, weigh possibilities, and make decisions, but we dare not “lean on our own understanding” as warned back in chapter 3.  God promises to give wisdom to those who ask and to direct those who are willing to obey.


Verse 9 again is a verse that has meant a tremendous amount to me and one we should memorize to hold close in our hearts.  We should always plan, as God wants us to take responsibility, but we must understand that He ultimately will guide our steps.  He may close doors that He does not wish for us to enter at the time.  We must understand that God’s way is the perfect way and we must look and seek for His guidance.


Another verse that many of us can quote from this chapter is verse 18.  A lot of us can quote it but not all of us heed it.  Warnings about pride abound in Proverbs.  God hates a “proud look” and promises to destroy the house of the proud.


In the closing verses of this chapter, God again reminds us that our tongue and controlling our temple are very crucial in our Christian walk.  Wise people practice discipline when it comes to their speech.  Proverbs has much to say about the dynamics and dangers of human speech.  Suffice it to say here that the wise person realizes the power of the tongue and keeps it under God’s control.  The speech of wise people will instruct and inspire, and we are nourished as we listen; the talk of fool's only tears down and leaves us empty and discouraged.


Let us watch our tongue.  Let us be wise as we speak to each other and to the lost.

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