Beautiful Word Devotional #161

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

Proverbs 16:3

It’s not easy to commit our plans to God. We want him to rubberstamp our desires instead of asking if they line up with his desires for us. We have this backward: he commands us to surrender everything to him. When we do, he will “establish [our] plans”

Frustration comes, though, when we quote this verse alone, out of context from the rest of Scripture. After all, sometimes our plans aren’t established. What do we do when this verse doesn’t seem to apply to our situation? We can choose to acknowledge that we won’t always understand our wise God (Isaiah 55:8–9). We can choose to trust in his unfailing love (John 3:16; Romans 8:38–39).

Notice that this verse doesn’t guarantee that if we surrender, everything will work out the way we envision it. What this verse does promise is that a life surrendered to God will be characterized by plans that he establishes—and his plans for you are plans for good (Jeremiah 29:11).

Lord, I choose today to surrender afresh and trust you with what I don’t understand, amen.