4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
This passage of scripture tells us that we can safely trust God to plan for us, and it will be well for us to ask God's guidance and direction in everything we do, for the promise is given to all who commit their ways unto Him, that He will bring to pass the desires of our hearts. Whenever we decide to plan for ourselves, without seeking counsel from The Lord, we literally tie God's hands, because He has made us free moral agents, and it is contrary to His form of government to force His way upon an unwilling heart. That's why He is described as standing at our heart's door waiting for an invitation to come in and converse with us.
The song that says "I did it my way" all too often represents the human effort to plan and execute without God, a system that has proven to be riddled with failure. The Bible makes reference in several verses to the ways of man versus the ways of God. Let's read:
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Ecclesiastes 8:12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: 13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
A striking example of "our own planning" is found in the experience of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. The Lord had said to Abraham that he would have a son and that his offspring would become a great nation. Several years had elapsed since the promise was made, and so Sarah suggested a "plan b" in order to bring God's plans to pass. The laws of the land back then, made provision that if a man's wife could not bear children, he could then legally take his maid as a second wife, so that they could reproduce. This plan "B", though legal according to the laws of the land, conflicted with the law of God, and so after Abraham had tried it, He and Sarah both found out that a departure from God's perfect plan always brings negative results. Let's read:
Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee. 6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thine hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
There is no such thing as sinning and getting away free. Sin pays "wages", and any departure from the path of rectitude will certainly result in disagreeable circumstances. Furthermore, when the laws of the land directly conflict with the law of God, we should obey God rather than men. Our planning should always be done under the auspices of the Holy Ghost and in conjunction with what is written in the Bible. For instance, if the laws of the land permit divorce for any and every cause, we should not make plans in accordance with those laws, but rather with what the scriptures stipulate. When the Bible says to "commit thy way unto the Lord", it means that every idea, every concept, every doctrine and every plan of action must first be sifted by the word of God for clearance, and if something is found to be amiss, we should be willing to humbly surrender our preconceived ideas, in favor of a "Thus saith the Lord".
This method of making decisions, and this plan of action will always result in success, for God takes personal responsibility for the outcome if we submit our ways unto Him. We therefore end with a promise for all who are willing to let the Lord lead. Let's read:
Isaiah 58:11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. "Good night" and God bless!