In Their Hearts Humans Plan Their Course, But The Lord Establishes Their Steps

PROVERBS 16:7-9

“When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice. A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:7-9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/114/pro.16.7-9.nkjv

When people’s lives are pleasing to God, even their enemies are at peace with them. For God will help those who fear Him to be successful in all they do.

The truth is, “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

But my beloved, the very moment we try to short cut or cheat our way to success, He will stand back and leave us to our own way.

Since we are the body of Christ, individually purposed by God, to serve in pacific areas, we must remain obedient to Christ, who is the head.

“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭12‬-‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Our service must be God centred.

We all have choice, it’s God’s way or my way and nothing in between.

The fruits of my way are sin which lets the devil in (GALATIANS 5:19-21), and will achieve nothing good.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬-‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We all want others to like and respect us, and many will do pretty much anything to win friends. But their is no room for compromise in God’s kingdom; respect is slowly earned in love and truth, but lost in a single second with the tiniest of little white lies that we speak to please people or keep the peace.

Many church leaders today, rather than focusing on pleasing God, set out to please people simply to fill the seats and increase the tithe’s and offerings.

They fail to set godly standards and make false promises of blessings; they often turn a blind eye to people who wear inappropriate clothing and  invite people to take tea, coffee, and food throughout the meeting, or ignore vulgar language or laugh at inappropriate jokes just to please, and even justify sin by saying its ok, everyone is doing this, or God forgives.

Jesus did not suffer the pain and humiliation of a cross so that we can continue in sin; but rather, to give each and every one of us an opportunity to start again, putting to death our old sinful ways and to be born again into God’s family forever.

Whilst we walk in Christ righteousness, we are not licensed to live immoral lives. We will make mistakes, and slip back at times, but our hearts must be focused on holiness.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Repentance is turning from sin toward God, not continuing in it because God forgives.

My brethren, we must take repentance seriously, we cannot continue with a complacent heart.

“”Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.””

‭‭Joel‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

My beloved, we must address the sin that’s in us. “Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭12‬-‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Living a Christian life is more than simply attending church once a week; it is living with Him, serving Him every day in relationship with Him, and getting to know Him well, and trusting Him in every aspect of life.

Assembly is very important and it must not be forsaken , but taken very seriously (HEBREWS 10:24-25).

Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Jesus is God, and throughout the gatherings He is in the midst of us and deserves our undivided attention and respect as we sing His praises.

Assembly is a time when the whole body comes together to intimately worship the King of kings; it is time to lift Him up in honour, and praise Him with a thankful heart, for He deserves every praise, and He alone is worthy, for He paid it all.

Furthermore, gathering is an opportunity to bath in His glory, to receive the bread of life and healing, and be lifted up.

Inappropriate clothing has no place in the presence of God, and will be a distraction to many.

Surely, we can be determined to show reverence to God by arriving on time, dressed appropriately, and go through a meeting, focused on Him, singing His praises together without idle chatter, or eating or drinking in the middle.

Apart from being disrespectful to God, it is a distraction to others.

Our time in worship should be a time of love and devotion to God.

Surely we can worship our God from our hearts without unnecessary distractions.

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.