Plans of the Mind | Proverbs 16:1

To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.

Proverbs 16:1 NIV

There is a difference between what you want and what you get.  God will not always give you what you wanted, but He will always give you what you need.

When I was in primary school, I wanted to perform better in my primary national examinations that time. I thought once I get good grades, I would join a national secondary school in my country. This will make me school good grades in my secondary school and I would join Havard to pursue my degree.

That was always my dream. I always prayed about that. But that never happened. I got marks I never wanted, did not get a sponsor, joined a university I never liked at first, and did a course I never wanted when I was young.

I know this is not just my story. It is the story of many people out there. Even you dear reader may have a similar story. Your life does not always go as you want it to go. It seems most times you are always against the wind. You may have thought that you will graduate at 23, get a job in a company x earn a six-figure salary and live in the suburbs of your favorite city, and at 25 marry your best friend. Now, you may be 28, single with no job and a place to stay and you feel life is meaningless. All your dreams seem to have vanished and now the best you can do is just to let life take you wherever it may.

One of the greatest things that I have learned is that this life is not about me and I cannot become the center of my life. This is because I cannot take myself anywhere when God does not allow it. The plans of the mind belong to the man but the answer comes from the Lord. I can plan, strategize, and scheme but after all, I am building on hope that things will go this way or that way and that may not be the case.

Even with all that I wanted going and never to be back, God has created those moments which were and are full of joy and worthy of memory. Sometimes we just think our way would be better because we don’t know what would happen if it was that way.

God knows what is best for us and he is working for that for his people. Instead of sitting down to wait for what you hoped, look around and see what the Lord has done. Give thanks and praise. For a long, we have missed seeing the blessings of God because we are so preoccupied with ourselves.

The scripture tells us that, “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:2-3 Some unanswered prayers are blessings.