What does it mean that a man's heart plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9)?

"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (v. 9). A man may spend hours in planning what he will do, but the believer might well spare himself such hours of planning, and rather depend on the Lord to direct him in the way that is good. Of course we should not act without considering the way we go, but it is vital that a believer should take the Lord into his plans, leaving those plans flexible enough to allow the Lord occasion to change them if He will, and with the full confidence that the Lord will direct us rightly.

The heart of man away from God is lawless; and, shaking off the restraint of Him to whom he belongs and must give account, is fruitful of devices. As he loves his own way, so he changes it according to the object before him, or, it may be, some passing fancy. Jehovah alone can direct his steps; but this supposes dependence on Him and obedience to His Word, when it is His way, and not the man's own. So Moses (Ex. 23:13), when Israel forsook him and bowed down to the golden calf, prays, Show me Thy way.

Comforting to faith is the ninth verse. We may devise, plan, and often worry as we make our plans but behind it stands the LORD and in spite of our failures and mistakes "He directeth" the steps of the righteous.

The name Jehovah (LORD) appears eleven times in this chapter of Proverbs. The Lord has the final word, for to man belong the preparations (or plans) of the heart; but from the LORD is the answer of the tongue. It is the same thought as in our English proverb--"Man proposes--God disposes." Man loves to justify himself, his ways are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits; He is the judge of ways and motives. Our works are to be committed (literal: rolled upon) unto the LORD, then establishment and blessing will follow. It is strange that these three verses were omitted in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament.

Perfection of order is of God, and system is God's plan. It is only when man makes a system, which interferes with God's system, and shuts out the action of the Spirit, that it is wrong. It is right to plan, if it be in subjection to the will of God. (See James 4:15.)

We all have to make plans — in our daily lives as well as in the service of the Lord. The apostle also had plans or ideas about what he wanted to do. But we can learn a vital lesson from him: he was always dependant on the guidance of his Lord. He was sensitive to see when the Lord clearly wanted to change his plans and guide him in another direction.

Thus God would teach us the lesson of dependence, and how we should ever seek His guidance. We are not sufficient of ourselves to map out our own paths, whether as individuals, or in relation to the Church of God. How full of thoughtful care are all God's ways. We may well trust Him to do far better for us than we can do for ourselves.

Now this will, assuredly, involve the surrender of our own will, our own plans, our own management altogether. We must follow the cloud; we must wait ever — wait only upon God. We cannot say, "We shall go here or there, do this or that, to-morrow, or next week. "All our movements must be placed under the regulating power of that one commanding sentence — often alas! lightly penned and uttered by us — "If the Lord will."

How true it is that God orders our lives, if we will only trust Him step by step.

The steps of a good man are ordered by Jehovah. This is a vast and precious blessing. … A young Christian may, in confiding zeal, not see so much the value of this … but when one has seen the world, what a pathless wilderness it is; it is beyond all price that the Lord directs our steps.