A God Purposed Life

As Christians, we must realize that as children of God, the Lord orders our steps and establishes our purpose. I must remind myself daily that I am not my own, but a servant of God, and therefore I must walk in the path that God has laid out for me.

When we consider the wisdom found in the book of Proverbs, particularly Proverbs 19:21 and Proverbs 16:9, we are reminded that our lives are ultimately guided by God toward His divine purpose.

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV) states:

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”

Proverbs 16:9 (KJV) states:

“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”

From these two insightful verses, we can gather several important truths. The first thing both verses mention is man’s plans. All of us make plans about what we want to do in life. However, the critical question we must ask ourselves is: Do our plans align with what God wants us to do?

These verses clearly teach us that we must be more concerned with God’s plan for our lives than with our own plans.

Proverbs 19:21 tells us that “it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” This reminds us that God is sovereign, meaning He has complete authority and power over all things. Ultimately, only God’s purpose will prevail.

God knows best because His perspective is unlimited. While we understand only fragments of life, God sees the past, the present, and the future simultaneously. His eternal perspective allows Him to guide us perfectly.

This truth is affirmed in the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 46:10 (KJV) declares:

“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”

Because God sees what we cannot see, we should trust Him to direct our paths. Sometimes we must simply let go and let God lead, knowing that His will is always better than our own.

Again, Proverbs 16:9 states:

“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”

The word “deviseth” means to plan or determine a course of action. This verse teaches us that while people may plan their paths, it is God who ultimately directs their steps. The steps that God orders are what move us forward toward our destiny. Therefore, God’s will always supersedes the plans of man.

This truth is further illustrated in the book of Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 1:5 (ESV), God speaks to the prophet Jeremiah and reveals that His purpose for Jeremiah existed even before his birth:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

God was speaking specifically about Jeremiah, revealing that He had already established Jeremiah’s purpose before he was even born.

If God had this kind of foreknowledge and purpose for Jeremiah, we can also trust that God has established a purpose for each of our lives.

Therefore, we should strive to live our lives according to the purpose that God has ordained for us, trusting that His plans are greater than anything we could design ourselves.

Live out your life as God has purposed it! A God Purposed Life!