No Loose Ends! (Proverbs 16)

How do we receive guidance from God on the choices we make in our life?  Do we expect to hear the voice of God on specific decisions that we need to take, such as a new job or the right person to marry? On the broader scheme of things, how do you understand how your action has a bearing on your destiny? I remember listening to a Hokkien song entitled One must strive in order to win and one line of the lyrics goes this way: "Success is dependent 70% on heaven and 30% on your effort". This is somewhat in line with the common refrain that "God helps those who help themselves!".  Is this your understanding in that your future is dependent on a synergy of your effort and God’s, never mind the percentage?

 

From the book of Proverbs, and particularly Chapter 16, we can learn a few things that enable us to be both bold and assured as we make active decisions to serve God and have every confidence in the out-working of God's sovereignty  through our free actions. Men can plan and act on their plans and these are solely theirs. God does not force them or make them robots as set forth in Proverbs 16, verse 1. Their plan can be elaborate, such as setting the battle array or laying a fire from the meaning of the word "plans" (ESV) in 16:1 but the outcome is solely determined by God. This is because God is Sovereign, and Sovereignty means that God is free to exercise whatever he so desires as the Creator over the creature. This applies to plans of man which are elaborate as in verse 1 or in verse 9 but also applies to random events such as the casting of the lot in seeking God's will as in verse 33. Everything is under the sovereign governance of God in the outcome – from the answer of the tongue in verse 1, to the establishment of his steps in verse 9, to the outcome of the lot cast in verse 33. This is never so clear as set forth in verse 16:4: "The LORD has made everything for its purpose". 

There are no loose ends in God’s exercise of his sovereignty over his creation, even in the allowing of bad deeds by wicked people: "even the wicked for the day of trouble" in verse 16:4b. But is God the Author of Sin? Certainly not, as man is free as his action is based on his own free will – as he has the natural ability to decide what is right and wrong, he is therefore responsible for his action. We see that God sovereignly determines the outcomes of man’s actions as given in verses 1b, 4, 9b and 33b on one hand. On the other hand, we see that every action is 100% from the man's free will based on his natural ability to do what is right and wrong; therefore, it belongs to him. This is seen in verses 1a, 9a and 33a. "The plans of the heart belong to man" as in 16:1a, and since it belongs to him and it comes out of his own free will, he is therefore 100% responsible. This is also underscored in verse 9a, "The heart of the man plans his ways". 

In other words, he is 100% free and therefore 100% responsible for his action. As God is sovereign over his creatures, we are 100% determined by God in our outcome as shown earlier. Both truths are clearly taught here in these few verses, though it is hard to reconcile them from the human viewpoint.  We see these truths exemplified in a few biblical examples such as in the life of Joseph as set forth in Gen 50:20:   "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

 

This biblical teaching is immensely practical as to how we live our lives. Firstly, we are motivated because our action does have a bearing on the outcome and our destiny so we need to do our best in God's way and we are responsible to God while God will bring our action to his desired good end in his sovereignty as we see in Rom 8:28; this gives us immense confidence and comfort. How can we then live and receive God’s Guidance? By totally trusting in him! This is by first applying the precepts of God in our actions and by and by we learn to make better and better decisions with regards to choices for the future. Where do we see this? We see this in Proverbs 16:3. Let’s take note of what this verse does not teach. It does not teach that we ask God to bless our plan first before we act, then God will bring it to pass but rather, trusting in him totally, we put our plans into action.  

In other words, we take a decision with total trust in God. That is what the author means by “commit”; it means "rolling" – rolling all your cares and burdens on him as you execute your plan. Why so? Why does God work this way? I suppose in our sinful nature we do not learn by being told, much less by being condemned or scolded but by being shown. This is one of the principles taught in the book by Dale Carnegie, How to win friends and influence people. There is a Latin phrase that go like this:  "Suaviter in modo, fortiter in re" - "pleasantly in manner, powerfully in deeds".  No one learns by being told but by being shown. Perhaps we see this principle working out this in the life of Jacob, Joseph, and his brothers. Why did Jacob, Joseph and his brothers have to go through the pains of slavery, deceit, and famine? As one speaker puts it, why didn't God appear to Jacob in a dream or an Angel appear to warn them of the wrong action of Jacob, the evil intention of the brothers and the impending famine?

We therefore need to be patient on one hand, and on the other we can now be bold and assured knowing that our choices in life matter and do play a part in God's plan, and that God in his sovereign freedom will bring to pass what is in his mind through our choices and actions in  mysterious ways that will sum up perfectly with no loose ends. Amen.

References

1. Willing to Believe by R.C. Sproul (www.ligonier.org)

2. Your Plans: God's Plans (Sermon) by Timothy Keller