13.02.2022; Proverbs 16:1-3
The Lord is good and his love endures forever.
Introduction
We have entered into this new month and this is our second Sunday. We are thinking about the Secrets of Success. Success demands submission, obedience, and respect for the authorities. Today, we will see the secret of success is by committing our plans to God. Three things I want to remind you from these three verses:
Prepare your thoughts
Weigh your ways
Commit your plans
To start with:
- Prepare your thoughts
Proverbs 16:1: “To man belongs the plans of the heart but from the Lord comes to the reply of the tongue”. To man belongs means the man makes his intentions, arrangements, plans, and ways. People must plan and make arrangements for their life course. However, the answers come from the Lord. Since things have come from the Lord, men cannot overrule their responsibility in planning, cautioning, and involving in daily activities. No one could simply sit at ease and tell me that God would plan and execute everything for me. God expects men to work and toil. But the answer comes from the Lord. God never gave or place anything an apple at their hands.
There may be a thousand schemes and arrangements made in the heart of a man which he may earnestly wish God to bring to full effect, that is neither for his good nor God’s glory. It is in his interest that God has the answer in his power. At the same time, there is no intimation here that man can prepare his own heart to wait upon, or pray unto the Lord; or that from the human heart anything good can come, without Divine influence; but simply that he may have many schemes and projects which he may beg God to accomplish, that are not of God, but from himself. A man may think as he pleases, and ask as he lists to God but God will give, or not give, as he thinks proper (Clark).
This verse teaches us a great truth that we are not sufficient of ourselves to think or speak, anything of ourselves, that is wise and good, but all our sufficiency is of God, who is with the heart and with the mouth, and works in us both to will and to do (Philippians 2:13, Psalm 10:17). Barnes: The name of Yahweh as Giver, Guide, Ruler, or Judge, meets us in each of our thoughts and ways. Thoughts come and go in our minds spontaneously. But true, well-ordered speech is the gift of God. John Gill: All preparations for religious service and duty, whether it be to pray unto God, or to preach in his name, are from the Lord. God gives them the willing mind, or a suitable frame for service, as well as the ability to perform it. (Psalm 10:17).
Matthew Henry: ‘The renewing grace of God alone prepares the heart for every good work. This teaches us that we are not sufficient of ourselves to think or speak anything wise and good. Ignorance, pride, and self-flattery render us partial judges respecting our conduct. Roll the burden of thy care upon God, and leave it with him, by faith and dependence on him.
God works in our lives even when we’re not aware of it. If we’re a child of God, God is continually working in our lives. It’s amazing how many times we say things that we don’t realize at the time we are saying it, but actually, it’s a word from the Lord. It just comes up. God prepares your heart. The preparations of the heart, they’re from God (Smith).
Jamieson: Men cannot express their thoughts without God’s permission and help, and their tongues are oft overruled by God to speak what was beside and above their thoughts, as he did Balaam (Numbers 23), and Caiaphas (John 11:49-51). Whereas the thoughts of men’s hearts are evil, and that continually, and nothing but evil thoughts naturally proceed from thence (Genesis 6:9). Trust in the Lord always and lean not on your little understanding and ways. “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
- Weigh your Ways
“All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord” (Proverbs 16:2). Proverbs 14:12 “there is a way that seems to be good but the end is death”. Do you know yourself? How can you? Your own heart lies to you worse and more than anyone else. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). David said, “Who can understand his [own] errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults” (Psalm 19:12).
Scripture often warns that human reasoning and human desire can lead to disaster (Jeremiah 17:9). The problem is not that we cannot use reason, or that we can never have the right desires. We are easily swayed by what we desire, and to false (Proverbs 1:7). Proverbs 12:15 says that the fool trusts his thinking over and above God (Proverbs 3:5). There is a need for self-examination (2 Corinthians 13:5), and seeking advice and wisdom from godly people (Proverbs 11:14; 15:5).
Romans 1:18–32 unfolds the sad story of the heathen’s rejection of natural revelation, the manifestation of God through nature. Verse 18 says God’s wrath “is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” The rest of the chapter tells where the heathen’s rejection of God’s revelation led them. Although men preferred their way to God’s way, their choice led to futile, debased thinking; idolatry; physical debauchery; all kinds of unrighteousness; evil; covetousness; malice; hatred of God; insolence; arrogance; murder; strife; deceit; maliciousness; gossip; bragging; rebellion; foolishness; faithlessness; and ruthlessness.
Sin can seem so plausible to the man or woman who wishes to rationalize his or her actions and evade the truth of the actual motives. Not only can we fool ourselves into sin, but we can elicit support from other sinners as “wise counsel.” The ways of carelessness, of worldliness, and sensuality, seem right to those that walk in them; but self-deceivers prove self-destroyers (Matthew Henry). There are some evil actions or courses which men may think to be lawful and good, either through gross ignorance, or self-flattery or through want of necessary diligence in examining them by the rule of God’s word (Benson).
The ways of Sodom and Gomora were rightful ways to them (Genesis 18 -19). The ways of the 12 spies seemed to be good for them. The way of the Achan seemed to be good for him (Joshua 7). The ways of the Balaam seem to be good for him (Numbers 23). The ways of the servant of Elisha were good to him (2 Kings 5). The way of Judas Iscariot was good to him. But all of them had their end at sickness, death, and shameful acts.
Conscience needs to be informed by God’s Word and ruled by God’s will to make it a safe guide. When properly regulated, it can pronounce a verdict upon contemplated action, and its verdict must always be obeyed. The way that seemed at the moment right, the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverbs 5:5). The man is following a false light, is led astray, and goes headlong to destruction (Romans 1:28, 1 Timothy 4:2) All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom you have to do, including the thoughts and intents of your heart (Hebrews 4:12-13). Receive correction without rebelling (Psalm 73:21-22). The blessed God never despises a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 34:18; 51:17; Isaiah 57:15). If you go down in humble contrition, He will lift you (James 4:10; I Peter 5:6). Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3).
- Commit your Plans
The verb commits in Hebrew means “to roll.” The idea is that we completely give something over to God in dependence upon Him. If we completely depend upon God in our work, He will “establish” our plans. That is, He will “bring about” or “cause to happen” our plans. Psalm 1 calls to prosper by committing lives to Christ. The double meaning here is that God will put the right plans, the ones according to his will, into your heart. His plans will become your plans. And then he will make those plans succeed. Commit your actions, work, plans, ways, thoughts to the Lord. He will establish it.
Cast all care upon him and his providence for supply, support, and sustenance in life; and commit the business of the salvation of thy soul, and the important affairs of it, wholly to him, who is able, willing, and faithful, to keep what is committed to him; and, having so done, may sit down easy and satisfied, as one that is rid of a burden by casting it on another, better able to bear it, or more equal to the work committed to him.
The Targum: “reveal thy works to God”, The Syriac and Vulgate Latin versions: “reveal thy works to the Lord”. Reveal thy case, condition, and circumstances; thy wants and necessities; seek and ask for a supply of him, make known thy requests to him; for though he is not ignorant of the affairs of his people, yet he will be sought unto to do the things for them he intends to do, and they need, and thy thoughts shall be established. when a man has, by faith and in prayer, committed himself, his case, his ways, and works, to the Lord, his mind is made easy, his thoughts are composed and settled, and he quietly waits for the issues of things. This makes him calm, sedate, and easy; and he is in a fair way of having his designs, desires, and endeavors accomplished (Psalms 37:5). Bridgeway: A person may make plans, but God is the one who determines their outcome. He knows the person’s unseen motives and controls events according to his purposes. It is important, therefore, always to bring God into one’s planning.
Commit your plans to the Lord because your plans are limited and short. God has better plans and long and lasting plans (Jeremiah 29:11). The man plans his ways but God establishes the plans (Proverbs 16:9). May he grant your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans (Psalm 20:4). Without counsel, plans fail but with numerous advisers, they succeed (Proverbs 15:22). Your thoughts are not my thoughts. My ways are higher than your ways and thoughts, says the Lord! (Isaiah 55:8-9). Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand (Proverbs 19:21). I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go (Psalm 32:8).