Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Welcome to today’s Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation covering Proverbs 19:21 where we are given a small picture of the limits of man and the greatness of God.
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
Such a Proverb may trouble planners while relaxing further the slothful. But if this be the case for either, neither really understand its meaning. What we must see in this verse is that planning is not condemned and rather expected, but nothing will happen apart from God’s use of these plans for His own ends. There is so much mystery in the way in which these two realities converge that we must tread lightly and with great humility in seeking to expose the meaning. One thing that we can be certain of is that the order of authority is clearly declared: man thinks and plans; the LORD works His purposes behind and in and following those plans–we are completely encapsulated within His sovereign construct unable to thwart His ultimate design. It is a bit like if I were to play chess against the world champion of the game. I may think how wonderful I might be having practiced for an entire week before the match, assuming then that I’m holding my own during play only to find that he has been purposing my moves all along toward his own victory. To be sure, I say that God’s rule is a bit like this because the spread between my plans and the champion’s purposes is nothing compared to the vastness between our minds and God’s.
What should such knowledge work within us? How are we to apply it? For one, it certainly moves us into a place of humility since we realize that our actions, though important, are not perhaps as great in consequence as we might have originally thought. Or we could at least say that they do not carry weight in the manner that we might imagine were we not mindful of God’s work in and through all of them. We should furthermore be moved to trust in the LORD more fully, knowing that nothing escapes Him or is done apart from His control. He is faithful to purpose good for His children despite the unfaithfulness we and the rest of the world all too often walk in as we make our plans. Finally, we should rejoice in the fact that God’s purposes are all working toward the glorification and victory of Jesus Christ that will be shared by all who in faith call upon His name. The final check-mate He is working toward brings great hope for the redeemed. Let us therefore plan our days all the while seeking to be tuned into His will, submitted to His great purposes.
Last 5 posts by Seth
- Matthew 28:18-20--Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation - April 24th, 2010
- Matthew 27:20-23--Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation - April 23rd, 2010
- Matthew 26:30-33--Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation - April 22nd, 2010
- Matthew 25:29-30--Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation - April 21st, 2010
- Matthew 24:3-5--Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation - April 20th, 2010
