Devotion – Thursday, 18 March
Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for today is taken from the Book of Proverbs, Chapter 16 verse 9, “The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps,” (NRSVB). In this chapter we are shown the differences between the plans, ways and works of men, compared to the plans, ways and works of God. The opening verse states that “the plans of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man; but from the Lord comes the wise answer of the tongue.” We can make and draw up plans and give time frames and action steps to these in order to start the process. However, it is God who gives the creativity and turns these steps into reality. He is the one who gives us answers and allows us to speak words of life and truth. It is not within us to bring life to our words and plans, for these are gifts from God. As our plans unfold and start to take shape, God directs the time and circumstance and bless the plans that have been taken while keeping him and his ordinances in mind. When we plan and have the benefit of the community in mind and if we make sure that others would not be disadvantaged through our actions, God will direct these plans and make them fruitful, far beyond our thoughts and dreams. Those prophets and scribes who worked under God’s direction and wrote down the words he gave them to teach their people, could they ever imagined that their words would reach beyond the ages and reach millions of people? We do not know what our words and acts will achieve in the times to come, but we do know that nothing will return empty to our Lord that has been blessed and given life by him. This serves as great encouragement to us to continue to make plans and bring them to the Lord, for he will direct the steps of our words and work, even through the ages.
The Apostle Paul writes about the works of God through his weak vessels, humans, in the Second Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 3 verse 5, “Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God,” (NRSVB). Would the reformers have imagined that their works would still be relevant, five hundred years later? Would Paul have imagined that his letter would be translated into hundreds of different languages and reach the gentiles from the East, the West, the North and the South? Moses and the prophets, David and the writers, all must be amazed that more than three thousand years later their words and deeds are still used to receive encouragement in times or trouble and instruction in times of doubts. God brings, through his Spirit, the competency and skills to the works and words of his children. These become beacons of light and sources of wisdom for future generations, gifting them with blue prints of good plans and actions.
The plans of humans influence the world, her people and the creation. There are plans that have been devised to harm, and not to benefit groups of people. Even in these circumstances the Lord turns these around to bring good from bad situations. Joseph’s brothers thought they got rid of their problems, by selling Joseph to the slave traders. However, the evil they did to Joseph, changed history and allowed him to ultimately save his brothers and his fellow Israelites from the famine, (Genesis 50 verse 21). Let us continue to make plans and bring them to the Lord for his blessing and his creativity to bring our plans to life in the world. Our plans and desires to spread the Gospel, to tell the story of our Lord’s life and love, are God inspired and will bring in the harvest that has been promised. Not here, but in the sweet by and by, we shall see the fulfilment.
We thank you, Father that we can rely on your competency when we do your work, Amen.
