Proverbs 19:21. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
Today’s proverb is contrasting two things – Man’s plans and God’s purpose. We are meant to learn one of the most important lessons for life from this proverb – you can make all the plans you want, and plans are a good thing, but in the end God will always get what he wants, and what he wants is always good.
Our God is not the God of deism. Deists like Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin believed that God created everything, but then, after creating the world, God sat back and simply watched everything happen without getting involved. Sort of like a person who makes a clock, puts it on the shelf and never bothers with it again. But this is not the God of the Bible. The God of scripture has a purpose for everything. He is in complete sovereign control over all things, providentially guiding our lives through everything that happens.
Every story in the Old Testament upholds this truth, but there is one story that expresses it more clearly than others – the story of Joseph. You may remember that Joseph’s brothers made a plan to destroy their favored sibling. But God’s purposes prevailed. What they meant for evil, God meant for good. This was Joseph’s faith filled declaration after he saw how God’s purpose unfolded in his life.
Joseph was able to see God’s purpose stand on this side of Heaven. For us in Christ seeing God’s purposes unfold is both a NOW and a LATER proposition. Consider Paul’s words in Romans 8:
Romans 8:28-29. 28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.
Whatever your plans are (and yes, go ahead and make your plans) God has a purpose for your life in Christ. What is it? To conform you into his likeness. No matter what plans you make, whether they succeed or fail, God IS making you like Jesus. You are NOW becoming like Christ, and you will LATER be fully like Christ in the end. This is God’s purpose for your life. And God’s purpose will stand, even when your plans don’t. So take heart today. You might mess up your plans, but you can never mess up God’s purpose.
You: What plans are you actively making for your life? Are they in line with God’s purpose for your life – Christ-likeness?
You in Christ: How does knowing that God’s purpose for you, Christ-likeness, cannot be thwarted give you hope and courage today?
Christ in you: How can you actively trust God’s purpose for you even when your plans fall apart?
Pray: Father, as I make my plans, help me to trust your purpose of transforming me into the likeness of Jesus. Amen.
To Live is Christ 