Daily Devotional For Sunday, August 3, 2025
Good morning Southside! It’s Sunday so let’s all be intentional today to go praise the Lord with other believers. Please don’t stay home because you have a headache or are tired or just don’t want to be around other believers. Jesus endured scourging and crucifixion for us, so we can get up and go worship and praise Him. He did not have to do this, but with all the excruciating pain, blood loss and stress, He pushed through all of that for us. And for us to stay home when we are healthy enough to go to worship at our local church is to say to the Lord, “You’re not worth it.”
Have you ever read Proverbs 16:3, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans” (NIV). This verse seems to be a promise from the Lord. It is, but, you have to read the context of this verse in Proverbs 16:1-2, “To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. (2) All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord” (NIV). Proverbs 1 is basically saying we can make our plans, but the Lord will determine if we are successful, not our own ingenuity and creativity.
This is why verse 3 really is a call for humility when we make plans rather than hubris. God’s sovereignty is meant to diminish our pride, so the right response is to lean on him. Dr. Danny Akin, who is a professor at Southern Seminary, writes this: “These verses do not discourage planning or decision-making at all, but they do make us humbly aware of God’s role in the final outcome” (Danny J. Akin, Exalting Jesus In Proverbs, p. 125).
So, this means the results belong to the Lord, not us. It is sinful for us to say, “Look what I did,” rather than, “Look what God did.” Not only does God’s sovereignty extend to our success, it extends to us in judgment. When we judge ourselves, most of the time, we feel we are innocent and even when others can show differently, we get defensive and make excuses. I know that this is my biggest issue that Audrey and Emmie have with me. I sometimes get defensive and make excuses. You may say things such as, “Oh, I know I should not have lost my temper, but what they said or did to me was awful.” Or, “Oh, I know I have difficulty controlling my tongue, but I am around so many people who swear and curse all the time. And besides, that is just the way I am. I tell it straight. Deal with it.”
I have been in meetings when a committee was presenting a point of view that most in the room did not agree with at that moment. All of a sudden, when confronted, the spokesperson on that committee said, “Well, I am sharing what such and such wanted on our committee.” That person was not even there and got thrown under the bus. What did that spokesperson do – blame rather than take ownership.
The Bible affirms that God knows our heart, our motives fully. Read 1 Corinthians 4:4-5. We are good at putting on masks before others in the attempt to hide our own manipulation and motives, but God is going to bring to light all of it one day. Now let’s be clear. We are not to be determinists or fatalists. That is a pagan concept. We make real choices. We are free and responsible to make wise decisions. Divine sovereignty and human responsibility go together and somehow work together. The Bible says to embrace both of them.Yet, some often make two mistakes with this:
- Some assume if we are truly free to make our own choices, then God is not fully sovereign.
- Some assume if God is truly sovereign, then we are to be more like robots.
Both are wrong. The point of Proverbs 16:1-3 is that we should not go out and make plans without first praying to God to make our plans successful. So, the praying comes before the doing. We are to go to God’s Word and glean from it the truth about our plans. Even if our plans do not go the way we wanted, that does not mean it was a failure or a complete loss. God is able to take what we do and do something bigger, better and more meaningful from it.
So, first you pray to the Lord before you do anything with your idea. Second, you pour through the Scriptures for a biblical basis. Three, you listen to the still-small voice of the Holy Spirit. If you get a green light from God, then make your plans. Work hard on making sure your plans are in alignment with God’s will and bring Him glory. Then you trust and depend on God to do with your plans He sees best, even stopping them if you are ignoring His leading. And finally, if all goes well and the plans are successful, make sure you give God all the credit and not yourself.
All of us have ambitions and goals, whether we realize it or not. Some of us make lists of goals, how to achieve them, and who can help us get there. Some of us create vision boards with images and quotes to inspire and motivate us. Others are less strategic but still have dreams and aspirations. What are you dreaming about? What are you aspiring to? Who are you allowing to influence your thinking? Are your dreams and ambitions different from those who have no intention of honoring God?
I encourage you to yield your dreams, your ambitions, and your goals to the Lord. I’m in favor of setting goals. But instead of setting our goals based on what is promoted through the media, let’s ask Him to give us goals that honor Him and advance His Kingdom. Instead of being coached by social media influencers, let’s be coached by the Holy Spirit. I have learned that when we commit ourselves fully to the Lord, our other goals and ambitions will fall into place.
Assignment: Reflect on all your current major plans. Do you first start by asking God, His Word and the Holy Spirit about your plans or do you just plunge straight into them? When it comes to your major plans, do you just hope God will bless them regardless? When your plans succeed, do you give all the credit to God or make sure everyone knows this was by you? Your dreams and ambitions were shaped by someone or something when you were growing up, but who or what is shaping them now? You want to ensure that your hopes and aspirations originate with God and not yourself or others.This week, be more intentional in giving God the credit for all the good in your life and see the difference it makes in you and to others.
Scripture To Meditate On: Proverbs 16:9, We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Heavenly Father, I choose to follow You completely, regardless of my circumstances. Holy Spirit, guide my thoughts, my decisions and my plans to agree with Your thoughts and plans. Give me Your wisdom and discernment each day. May the goals and ambitions of my life honor You and bring You glory, not me. Thank You for the opportunity to serve You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly