The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. (2) All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.

Proverbs 16:1-2

Explanation:
As we have been studying the book of Proverbs, all of the passages before this week had some kind of structure that connected verses. These verses come in one verse format. Even though each verse isn’t necessarily connected to the verse before and after in terms of flow of thought, there is a thematic connection in this passage.

In these two verses we learn about the sovereignty of God.
Verse 1 could be interpreted in a deterministic way. One could interpret it to mean that everything that happens in a man’s heart and everything a man says was determined by God. I do not believe that this is the proper interpretation of the passage. The idea here is that a man can plan and prepare, a man can give an answer, and in the end trust God to guide our actions.

Verse 2 tells us that God sovereignty means He can see the heart. He knows our thoughts and our motives. We may think that what we are doing is right, but ultimately God is the judge of our actions and our motives.

Application:
On the one hand it is good to rest in God’s sovereignty. We have the responsibility to think wisely about how we ought to live. When we make plans and devise a way, we must do so wisely, looking to God for direction and trusting that He will intervene and guide our paths.

On the other hand it is important for us to understand that God’s sovereignty means we cannot outwit, hide from, out-maneuver God. He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. This truth should cause us to fear him.

Response:

1. How does God’s sovereignty impact the way you plan?
2. How does God’s sovereignty impact the way you think about your sin?