"The heart of man deviseth his way;
But Jahve directeth his steps."
- Proverbs 16:9
"Similar to this is the German proverb: "Der Mensch denkt, Gott lenkt" [ equals our "man proposes, God disposes"]; for, as Hitzig rightly remarks, 9b means, not that God maketh his steps firm but that He gives direction to him. Man deliberates here and there (חשּׁב, intens. of חשׁב, to calculate, reflect) how he will begin and carry on this or that; but his short-sightedness leaves much out of view which God sees; his calculation does not comprehend many contingencies which God disposes of and man cannot foresee. The result and issue are thus of God, and the best is, that in all his deliberations one should give himself up without self-confidence and arrogance to the guidance of God, that one should do his duty and leave the rest, with humility and confidence, to God."
From the Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament
As a college student, planning to enter the all-feared "real world" soon, I feel that it would be a responsible choice to start becoming more critical of what I hear, and actually think about the state of things, rather than just letting life hit me. As I listen to student speeches and casual conversation on campus, I feel like many students have twisted the meaning of Proverbs 16:9, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." Maybe it's not twisting, but a mere inconsistency. We listen to the last part, but forget about the first. The verse is not encouraging one to sit on his bum waiting for the Lord to direct his steps. He is not even taking steps that could be directed. Rather, one should be encouraged to take action, "grab life by the horns," dig in and make plans, "do his duty". No, those plans will not always be exactly what God has in store. However, as stated above, after calculation there is still much that is left out of our view. This is where we do our duty humbly, and leave the rest to God, with confidence and peace knowing that God is in control.
מִנְחָה֙
Have you read Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung? If not, I have a couple copies, so get it from me this semester and read it! I'm pretty sure you'd like it a LOT. It says much of what you say in this post, plus it's a quick read!
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