In this post we are going address the third key ingredient to decision-making in Proverbs: Submitting to the Lord’s will. Read part 1 and part 2 in this series.

III.         Submitting to the Sovereign

In the process of decision making, the most important ingredient is God Himself. Proverbs repeatedly encourages the reader to consider the Lord’s role in one’s decisions. Several things can be said about the Lord’s role in one’s decisions. However, it is important to note that in all of these things the theme of God’s sovereignty is constantly present.

The first thing to which Proverbs alerts the reader, is that the Lord is the one who gives approval to your plans. He is the One who answers. Prov. 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” This verse brings the reader face to face with the reality that while he may seek wise counsel and make good plans, it is ultimately the Lord who determines the outcome (cf. Prov. 16:33)

Second, Proverbs also emphasizes God’s role as the Judge of one’s motives. Prov. 16:2 says, “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit” (cf. 17:3; 21:2). The Lord sees both what we do and why we do it. Not only does this verse speak of God’s sovereignty, but it also implies that an individual should be suspicious about his motives. In that way, this verse echoes the declaration of the prophet Jeremiah about the wickedness of the heart of man (Jer. 17:9). This is also a good time to remind ourselves of what Gospel-driven motives look like. In the Gospel, we do things out of a love for the Lord, not to exalt ourselves or in an attempt to manipulate Him.

Third, Proverbs notes that, in the end, God’s plans are what will prevail. Prov. 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (cf. 21:30-31). We are forcefully reminded that no plan of man can possibly upset the designs of God for this world. The LORD reigns! Practically, this should do at least two things for us:

1. Inspire confidence in believers as we face an uncertain future.
2. It should also encourage the believer to ask whether his plans are in line with those of the Lord.

How is the reader to respond to God’s sovereign role in the decision making process? Proverbs gives instruction here as well.  First, we must trust in the Lord rather than our own wisdom. Prov. 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Prov. 16:3 says, “Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.”The Hebrew word translated “commit” (galal) properly means “to roll.” This is a colorful way of saying that we should give the burden and weight of our plans to Him. The emphasis is placed on depending on God in the things you do.

Second, we must respond in humility to our limited knowledge. Prov. 27:1 reminds us of the reality of unforeseen events. “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”Prov. 20:24 says, “A man’s steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way?” This is an acknowledgment that sometimes we are just clueless about how God is working in our lives. Sometimes even the best of plans don’t go the way we expected and we are left wondering, what in the world is God doing? This is why the trust is so important.

Decision-making is a rich subject in the Proverbs. It overlaps with many other themes, from friendship to God’s sovereignty. Yet, Proverbs clearly emphasizes at least three main ingredients in making wise decisions: advice, planning, and submitting to the Lord. If one is going to make wise decisions that honor the Lord, none of these things can be neglected.

Previously we noted that, according to Proverbs, there are at least three key ingredients to wise decision making: advice, planning, and most importantly, submitting to the Lord. In this post we are going address the second of these: planning.

II. Making Plans

Having a well thought out plan and direction is emphasized throughout Proverbs. Wise decisions are not usually made “on the fly,” but involve weighing the options. For those who will take the time to plan, the chances of success increase. Prov. 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” This proverb reminds the reader that there are no short-cuts when it comes to being successful; those who are willing to pay their dues by making adequate preparations and working hard find great blessing awaits them. As with all the proverbs, this is not an iron-clad promise. Rather, it is a general principle which recognizes that, generally, planning and hard work pay off (cf. 14:23).

As with the issue of acquiring advice, Proverbs has much to say about the kind of person who makes plans. Prov. 13:16 says, “In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.” This proverb is affirming the old cliché which says “actions speak louder than words.” Prov. 14:15 says, “The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.” This verse is saying the prudent person is discerning about the way he lives. He is thoughtful about his course of action. On the other hand, the simple person just accepts everything without thinking about it.

In addition, Proverbs also speaks of one’s thoughts and plans in terms of their rightness or wrongness. That is, Proverbs often casts one’s planning (and the accompanying actions) in a decidedly moral light. Prov. 14:8 says, “The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving.” Derek Kidner clarifies this passage by saying, “Way in Proverbs means ‘conduct’ rather than ‘career’: hence this saying makes moral reflection the essence of shrewdness, whereas we tend to reduce shrewdness to business-sense.” Kidner’s testimony is borne out by the context of this passage which addresses immoral actions (cf. 14:15, 18). The application for us that the Proverbs are primarily (although not exclusively) concerned about making plans and being thoughtful about godliness rather than about the specifics of what job to take or what car to buy. The fact that believers often think first and foremost in categories other than godliness speaks to the distance between their priorities and those of the Word of God.

Further, Proverbs emphasizes the necessity of implementing your plans. Specifically, Proverbs mentions two extremes that one must be careful to avoid. The first is taking no action (14:23). Here, a person is all talk. However, talk accomplishes little. You have to act on your plans. The second is taking the wrong action (28:19).

That is, wasting time with irrelevant activity. The point is that both of these result in poverty. While Proverbs encourages the reader to take the right action based on good planning, it also provides a dose of reality. Prov. 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” There are few things more discouraging than the realization that something you have planned will take much longer than you expected. This verse is meant to help us be realistic about how long it may take our plans, in the providence of God, to be brought to completion.

For all the effort, diligent planning is worth it in the end. As with acquiring advice, there are specific results that come with thoughtfulness and planning. Proverbs cites things such as abundance (21:5), security (10:9, 29), joy (12:20), and a blessed life or long life (12:28) as products of planning.

Making decisions is a part of life. It is something that we do constantly. There are simple decisions, like what to eat for lunch. There are also more complex decisions, like who to marry, what kind of friends to have, what career to pursue, or what house to buy. In all of these things, God’s people should be especially concerned with making decisions that honor the Lord. Several questions naturally arise as a result:

• How does one go about making such important decisions?
• What guidance does the Scripture offer?
• How is biblical wisdom seen in the decision-making process?

According to Proverbs, there are at least three key ingredients to wise decision making: advice, planning, and most importantly, submitting to the Lord. Our goal is to examine these three ingredients and explain how each of them contributes to wise decision-making in Proverbs.

I.              Acquiring Advice

Prov. 11:14, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”The first ingredient for wise decision-making is consulting others for advice. Acquiring a variety of opinions about the decision to be made is critical. There is a prerequisite, however. This may seem to be stating the obvious, but getting advice is recognizing that advice is needed. Prov. 19:20 says, “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” This verse is an exhortation to recognize one’s own need for advice. In other words, we are called to an attitude of humility. Prov. 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” The fool thinks that he has all the answers. He is so self confident that he will not accept advice. In contrast, the wise man is humble enough to listen to the advice of others.

Good decision making is often thwarted by our own pride. There is, however, wisdom in taking advice (Prov. 13:10). A wise person is one who recognizes the value of thoughtful advice (Prov. 20:15). In fact, Proverbs tells us that one of the great blessings of friendship is “earnest counsel” (Prov. 27:9).