Tuesday, March 12, 2024

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READ: Proverbs 16

Proverbs 16:2–3 (CSB)
² All a person’s ways seem right to him,
but the Lord weighs motives.^,

³ Commit your activities to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:9 (CSB)
⁹ A person’s heart plans his way,
but the Lord determines his steps.

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The Austrians have an odd way of marking mountain paths; they use painted red circles. It’s not that red circles are so unusual, it’s that all the paths are marked with red circles. As a result, the only way to get to your destination is to use a guide map with the red circles acting more like assurances along the way as opposed to markers of the way.

When I was in Bible School in Austria the students were split into hiking groups that were led by staff leaders. Some staff leaders, in an attempt to “help” train their hiking teams, wouldn’t get involved with the wayfinding at all. One year a group got off course and their leader just followed along giggling until it was almost dark and he told them they were about 14 miles off course from their destination.

My staff leader assured my hiking group that he was not that committed to our training.

Who does what when it comes to hiking? What compels someone to go one way and not the other? Do you rely on the markers? Do you trust the student leader? Do you look at the staff leader? Do you look for smoke on the horizon or the smell of hotdogs wafting through the air?

Ummm. Yes?

When you hike through life who does what?

Is it the Lord directing your paths?

Is it the motives of your heart?

Is it your commitment of the path to the Lord?

Ummm. Yes?

I love Proverbs because for every person who plucks out a proof text for their particular position, there’s another that seems to completely contradict it. God sovereignly directs our lives. Well… we may have more of a say if 14:3 makes it seem like as long as your heart is aligned with God’s then you’re good to go.

As with most things, I think balance is the key. That being said, as I reflected on these verses I wonder if it’s not both all the time. I think there are times when we are so overwhelmed that we can lean on God’s powerful sovereignty. But I don’t think God minds when we take the reins and do the work. I mean He did give us powerful agency and surely our opinions and actions matter or He wouldn’t have made us managers.