“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

 Proverbs 16:1-5

“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.  All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.  Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.  The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.  Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.”

I am not going to attempt verse one at this time for I’m not sure how to handle it, but the second verse seems to be saying, our spirit is the actual measuring tape. Most of us can see fault in others but believe we are walking in a way that God and man will be pleased.  In fact, many of us who have chosen to follow Christ may be deceiving ourselves into believing God is happy we are so tight with Him.  Let me make a statement; we need to stop and pray for understanding and wisdom for we have made God into someone like ourselves.

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”  Sounds so easy, but is it?  It sure has not always been easy for me, often I form the business plan to get the job done and ask the Father to please bless my plan.  I know my Father wants to be part of my plan, but would I not be wise to gather more facts and get more counsel and then spent time in prayer before doing anything?  You may want to ponder on Psalm 33:11, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.”

“The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.”  Do you recall Nineveh a great city, but a very evil city and God sent Jonah to preach to them?  Now Jonah despises, I mean he loathed and had only contempt for those people.  Much like many in the church have for the left who have no regard for the ways of God.  Do you recall he is refusing to go and in fact would rather die than bring God’s messenger to such a people?  But after three days in a large fish, I like to think of it as an underwater motel designed to change the attitude of Jonah.  Now turn to Matthew 12:41, we have these words from Jesus, “The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

                       

I have asked myself am I a real follower of Christ or am I more a Jonah in my attitude and spirit, and it is a great question we need to be asking?

Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.”  Go to 2 Corinthians 13:5, and take the test.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice