August 13

A man’s heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps. - Proverbs 16:9.

THIS is the testimony of Scripture, and it is important in all such cases as these to make our appeal to “the law and to the testimony;” and here we read in one place, “Who knows what is good for a man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow.” In another we read, “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of understanding; nor yet favour to men of skill, but time and chance”-what men call time and chance -“happeneth to them all.” And again in another place we read that “the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps;” and again, “Man’s goings are of the Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?” And here is a parallel passage: “The heart of man deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps.”

This book assures us that “he performeth the thing that is appointed for us, and many such things are with him.” This book assures us “that our God is in the heavens;” that he has done “whatsoever pleaseth him;” that he “worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.” Not that God ever acts arbitrarily; he does act sovereignly, but we should remember that sovereignty always refers only to good, and never to evil. God blesses sovereignly, but never punishes sovereignly. He “does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.” He is always excellent in wisdom, and he doeth this or allows that, as our Saviour in addressing him says, “because it seemeth good in his sight.”

What seems good in our sight may often be an imposition, but what seems good in the sight of God must always be a reality. He has always reasons for what he does in the concerns of nations and churches, and families and individuals. These reasons are often “far above out of our sight;” for “he giveth no account of any of his matters,” but they exist, and he is always influenced by them, and these reasons now satisfy himself, and they will satisfy us when they come to be developed.

“Since all the downward track of time

God’s watchful eye surveys,

O who so wise to choose our lot,

Or regulate our ways?”