Proverbs 16:16-20 - The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

Proverbs 16:16-20 teaches us the importance of wisdom and humility before the Lord. The passage begins by acknowledging that while we as humans make plans in our hearts, it is ultimately the Lord who directs our steps and determines the outcome. We may think our ways are pure, but God is the one who weighs our motives and intentions. The wise person commits their work to the Lord, trusting that He will establish their plans according to His perfect will. We are reminded that God is sovereign over all things, even over the wicked who will face judgment. Pride is detestable to the Lord and will not go unpunished. In contrast, those who walk in love, faithfulness and the fear of the Lord will turn away from evil. The passage also emphasizes that it is better to be humble and poor in spirit than to be proud and divide the spoils of victory with the arrogant. True blessing comes not from worldly gain but from meditating on God's Word and putting our trust fully in Him. As we walk in wisdom and humility, we will discover the goodness and favor of the Lord.

This passage from Proverbs 16 is a powerful reminder of the importance of seeking wisdom and walking in humility before God. So often in life, we can become fixated on our own plans and desires, thinking that we know what's best for ourselves. We may even deceive ourselves into thinking our motives are pure and our ways are righteous. But the truth is, only God can see the depths of our hearts and weigh our true intentions. That's why it's so crucial that we commit our work and our plans to the Lord, trusting that He will direct our paths and establish our steps according to His perfect will. When we surrender our lives to God and seek His wisdom above our own understanding, we can have confidence that He will guide us in the right direction. At the same time, this passage warns us of the dangers of pride and arrogance. When we become puffed up with our own importance and think we don't need God, we are setting ourselves up for a fall. Pride is an abomination to the Lord and will always lead to destruction in the end. But when we humble ourselves before God and walk in the fear of the Lord, we will turn away from evil and experience His blessing and favor. It's interesting that the passage also contrasts the proud with the poor in spirit. The world tells us that success and happiness come from accumulating wealth, power and prestige. But God's Word reminds us that true blessing comes from having a humble and contrite heart before Him. When we are willing to let go of our own selfish ambition and instead seek first His kingdom and righteousness, we will discover the abundant life that He has for us. So let us meditate on this wisdom from Proverbs 16 and ask God to cultivate in us a heart of humility and a desire for His ways above our own. May we commit our plans to Him each day, trusting that He will direct our steps and lead us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. And may we always remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and that true blessing comes from walking in obedience to His Word.

Heavenly Father, we come before You today with humble hearts, acknowledging that Your ways are higher than our ways and Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We confess that so often we lean on our own understanding and seek to follow our own plans rather than Yours. Forgive us for the times we have acted in pride and arrogance, thinking we know better than You. Help us to commit our work and our plans to You each day, trusting that You will direct our steps and establish our ways according to Your perfect will. Give us a hunger for Your Word and a desire to walk in wisdom and righteousness. May we be quick to turn away from evil and to fear You above all else. Teach us to be humble and poor in spirit, recognizing that true blessing comes not from worldly gain but from knowing and serving You. May we be willing to let go of our own selfish ambition and instead seek first Your kingdom and righteousness. Thank You for Your steadfast love and faithfulness, and for the promise that as we trust in You, we will discover the goodness and abundance of life that You have for us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.