“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21)
Some days, it truly feels like you are proposing and God is disposing. You lay your dreams at His feet, plans carefully drawn up like blueprints, your best ideas presented with hope, and yet it seems like every proposal keeps bouncing back with a polite but firm “not this one.”
You are left wondering if He is listening or if maybe He just does not like your ideas.
It can feel like submitting proposal upon proposal to a boss who keeps saying “No,” even when you have poured your heart into your plans. But having worked with them long enough, you know they are not mean or wicked bosses.
They simply have a picture in mind, and even if they do not have every detail figured out, they can immediately see what does not fit into the bigger vision they are committed to. They are not rejecting you out of spite; they are protecting a plan they believe in.
God’s Perfect Blueprint
When it comes to God, it is far greater still. He is the all-knowing God, our wise and faithful Father who sees the beginning from the end. He sees every dead end you do not and cannot see. He is not guessing or confused. He does not need to review the next draft to know what is best, because He already holds the perfect blueprint of your life in His hands.
The saying “Man proposes, God disposes” makes sense in moments like these. Sometimes what you plan is not the best for you, so God disposes of it, not to frustrate you, but to protect you from settling for less than His perfect will.
It is why Scripture says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3). This doesn’t imply abandoning your dreams or failing to plan, but it does mean laying every idea at His feet and trust Him to guide us.
And how important it is to inquire of Him. David, the man after God’s own heart, did not rush ahead simply because he had the skills or experience.
Learn From David
One of the reasons David became so dear to God was his absolute dependence on Him, his consistent posture of always inquiring of God about what to do.
He inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up? Will You give them into my hands?” (2 Samuel 5:19), and God gave him clear and detailed answers. This was not a one-time experience reserved for special people; it is the kind of relationship God desires with all His children.
God does not leave you guessing. He is not playing hide and seek with His will. “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105). The more you pray, listen, and stay in His Word, the more He reveals and aligns your desires with His perfect plan.
As you pray, listen, and stay in His Word, He sensitizes your heart to His purpose and prunes away everything in you that is not of Him.
So, propose.
Plan.
Dream.
But commit it all to God, who sees the end from the beginning. Let Him dispose of what would have disposed of you.
Find peace, not because every plan is accepted, but because your Father loves you enough to guide you toward His perfect purpose; a purpose better than anything you could imagine.
Scriptures on Trusting God’s Plans: Proverbs 16:1–3, Proverbs 19:21, Psalm 37:5, Jeremiah 29:11–13, 1 Samuel 23, Exodus 40, Acts 16:6–10)
