Proverbs
16 reminds me of one of my favorite Bible quotes, “What
you meant for evil, God meant for good”
(Genesis 50:20). While forgiving his brothers for selling him into
slavery, Joseph taught them that God uses the evil acts of man to
accomplish His greater purpose. It was Joseph that saved the nation
of Israel through his position and standing in his adopted land of
Egypt. All of our plans are subject to God’s authority. According
to Solomon, even our words are His, “To
humans belong the plans
of the heart,
but from the Lord comes the proper answer
of the tongue“.
God knows our innermost thought, “All
a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the
Lord“. Solomon
concludes, “Commit
to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans…
everything to its proper end“.
Why do you continue to fight against His will? “The
Lord detests all the proud
of
heart“. He notes that
we have access to something Solomon himself did not; eternal
forgiveness! “Through
love and faithfulness sin is atoned for“.
It was through the brutal act of the Roman crucifixion that the
Savior of the world paid the price for our sin. God changed that
tool of torture into the universal symbol of hope. Here today, I
offer this hope to you. If you desire peace with God, will you ask
Jesus to be the Lord of your life? “He
causes their enemies to make peace
with
them“. Solomon notes,
“Humans
plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps“.
Will you take that step toward peace?
Next
Solomon lists some of the benefits of having peace with God, “The
lips of a king speak as an oracle“.
God’s wisdom is far superior to man’s. “Honest
scales and balances belong to the Lord…
a throne
is established through righteousness“.
Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession on
our behalf and it is upon His testimony that we receive mercy, “When
a king’s face brightens, it means life“.
Solomon again warns those too stubborn to listen, “Pride
goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall“,
but
“Whoever
gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts
in the Lord“.
Are you ready to trust in God’s unconditional love?
After
you allow the Holy Spirit of God into your heart, He will change you
from the inside. The people around us notice, “The
wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote
instruction… Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul
and healing to the bones“.
Those around us in search of peace find new motivation, “The
appetite of laborers works for them; their hunger drives them on“.
Sadly, some will try to sabotage your conversion and ruin your
reputation, “A
perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close
friends“.
As the inner change leads us to change our behavior, our former
accomplices try to pull us back, “and
lead them down a path that is not good“.
Solomon even hints that putting away old vices will lead to longer
life, “Gray
hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of
righteousness“.
Solomon closes by noting that peace with God makes us “a
patient person”
and “one
with self-control“.
The final verse tells us that salvation is not a game of chance,
like the lottery, but “Every
decision is from the Lord“.
I believe everything
that has happened in your entire life has bought you to this place of
decision. Do you desire God’s peace? “These
are written that you may believe
that
Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may
have life in His name”
(John 20:31).