PROVERBS 16:1-3
1 We can make our own plans,
but the Lord gives the right answer.
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2 People may be pure in their own eyes,
but the Lord examines their motives.
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3 Commit your actions to the Lord,
and your plans will succeed.
Often times, we try to avoid failure by planning our future ourselves based on what WE want; which, typically is some sort of physical pleasure that results in temporary thrill and or self-fulfillment, and those activities usually are not pleasing to God because they are not in His will meaning they are not what He planned for you to do. But in all of that planning or lack there of, we either lose sight of ourself trying to become who we have fixed up in our minds, or we actually thrive in our plans and it seems like we are on the way to our successful lifestyle. BUT, my question is while we are planning things how often do we consult God? How often do we ask Him to remove ourselves from the equation? How often do we submit our ways, actions, goals, ambitions and etc. to Him? How often do we ask God “what is YOUR plan for me ” rather than telling Him what OUR plan is for HIM?
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The Lord told us in Jeremiah 29:11 that He knows the plans He has for us (he doesn’t need our help). He has plans for us to prosper, to have a future, and hope. God’s plan is greater than ours and if we stop trying to tell God what we have planned and ask Him: what do you have planned for me?; what steps should I take , and in what direction should I go ? When was the Last time you asked God how you could be an effective vessel for Him? We are only human, and He is a sovereign, Mighty, and incomparable God but we still try to get Him to go according to our agenda as if it’s the other way around! How can we plan to be successful without God? there is an old hymn and it says “Without God, I could do nothing. Without God, I would surely fail.” Without Him, all we have is a one-way ticket to destruction. The bible tells us in Acts 17:28 it is in God that we live move and have our being. So while you’re planning to get rich, travel the world, marry the man of your dreams have kids and live happily ever after; where at in the layout of your future did you ask God to be Lord of your life and to just have His way in your life… submitting yourself to Him and allowing Him to direct your paths ( proverbs 3:5-6). Does He have complete access to your heart and life? We do not have the authority to plan without our creator, neither do we have the authority to disregard his plans and try to get him to fall in step with ours ?!Humility is ESSENTIAL in success. OBEDIENCE to GOD is salient in order to reach success. Without God our Creator who gives us : the ability to take your next breath because we are too simple-minded to even inhale the oxygen that we need in order to live.We are too feeble to move on our own, but we have the audacity to disregard God’s instructions and tell Him what we want and need him to do for us in order to prosper?
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Lastly, What is your motive? Are you trying to be successful for the right reasons? A lot of times we have all of these great and grand ambitions and goals but the motive behind succeeding is worthless because it’s so full of selfishness.How do you plan to be successful not only without God but, walking all over the next person to get where you think you deserve to go? The Bible tells us it is better to have little with godliness than to be rich and dishonest ( proverbs 16: 8). – CHECK YOUR MOTIVE– . Often times we get so lost in the desire to be rich and not want for anything that we lose sight of the big picture which is , being a help to the next person! When the Lord blesses us, it isn’t just for our benefit but for us to also go out and bless someone else! But, we are so selfish that we are just so caught up in our own agendas, our own desires, and our own needs that we don’t have the time to think about someone else’s, but we expect people to run to our rescue when we need a helping hand. Ask yourself again, what is your motive? In verse 5 (proverbs 16: 5) it tells us that God detests the proud. So ask yourself: ” while you were planning without God, did you plan to fail ?”
WE GET SO CAUGHT UP IN WHAT WE WANT THAT WE FAIL TO REALIZE THAT ALTHOUGH WE ARE REACHING FOR SUCCESS,IF WE DO SO WITHOUT ALIGNING OURSELVES( MOTIVES, DESIRES, GOALS ETC.) WITH THE WORD OF GOD; ASKING HIM TO ORDER OUR STEPS AND LET HIS WILL BE DONE, THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY REACHING TOWARD DESTRUCTION… PSALMS 37:23-24 SAYS, ” THE STEPS OF A GOOD MAN ARE ORDERED BY THE LORD, AND HE DELIGHTS IN HIS WAY.THOUGH HE FALL, HE SHALL NOT BE UTTERLY CAST DOWN; FOR THE LORD UPHOLDS HIM WITH HIS HAND.” WHEN YOU ARE IN STEP WITH GOD YOU WILL NOT FAIL!.
