Proverbs 16:9 - Meaning and Application

Man is shown here as a thinking creature, one who can plan for himself. His heart lays out his path, aims at a goal, and works out the means to reach it, something lower creatures cannot do because they are guided only by instinct. It is even more shameful if he does not use this gift to plan how to please God and prepare for eternity.

But man is also a dependent creature, under the direction and rule of his Maker. If people plan their way with God’s glory as their aim and God’s will as their guide, they may expect him to direct their steps by his Spirit and grace, so they will not miss their way or fail to reach their goal. But however carefully people arrange their earthly plans, and however likely success seems, God still decides what happens in the end, and he sometimes leads them where they least expected to go.

This teaches us to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that” (James 4:14-15). It also teaches us to keep our eyes on God, not only in the major turning points of life, but in every step we take. “Lord, direct my way” (1 Thessalonians 3:11).