Proverbs 20:24
poses an
important
question
concerning
discovering
God’s will. It
asks, “A man’s
steps are of the
Lord;
how then can a
man understand
his own way?” On
the surface, one
could say this
is a rhetorical
question, saying
that following
your own way is
a sure way to go
astray. But the
question is
framed against
the reality that
the way is
planned by a
man’s heart. In
light of this
truth, I think
the question is
rather deep, and
exploring it
could unlock
some deeper
truths.
It seems like a
contradiction to
have Proverbs
16:9 set beside
Proverbs 20:24.
Proverbs 16:9
says, “A man’s
heart plans his
way, But the Lord
directs his
steps.”
If a
man’s heart
plans his way, I
would think the
man would want
to “understand
his own way” so
that the plan
will be good.
Proverbs 14:8
says, “The
wisdom of the
prudent is to
understand his
way.”
So, first,
planning your
own way is not a
bad thing. It is
what God says a
person does with
the heart.
The
challenge of
understanding
it, though,
still remains.
To understand
this concept,
some terms need
to be defined.
What is the way?
What is the
destination?
What are steps
in the way? What
is
understanding?
The way is the
road I travel to
get to the
destination.
Planning my way
would be like
highlighting the
roads on a map
to get from
point A to point
B. Of course,
there is no map
of life. Life is
lived and is in
time, not
something that
can be unfolded,
touched, and
plotted. The
correct road, or
way, is
identified in
Proverbs 16:17,
which states,
“The highway of
the upright is
to depart from
evil; He who
keeps his way
preserves his
soul.”
It’s a hard
metaphor to
grasp because
the highway of
the upright is
not a tangible
road I can
actually walk
down. My highway
may be different
from your
highway; though,
it is clear they
are the same in
that the right
one is the one
that departs
from evil.
The correct road
is long.
Proverbs 16:31
says, “A
silver-haired
head is a crown
of glory, If it
is found in the
way of
righteousness.”
What is at the
end of this long
road? Proverbs
18:10 describes
the destination:
“The name of the
Lord
is a
strong tower;
The righteous
run to it and
are safe.” Our
destination is
the refuge of
our Lord.
So the Lord
guides our
steps. We are
presented with
life. We walk in
it every day.
Things that
happen around us
and to us, and
we act and react
to our
environment,
making decisions
along the way.
So what does it
mean to
understand? How
can a man
understand his
own way?
Proverbs 9:10
defines
understanding as
“knowledge of
the Holy One.”
This is the key
to understanding
the way planned
by the heart and
walked in
God-guided
steps. The more
one knows about
God, the more
one understands
his own way. It
seems obvious,
but without
acknowledging
that, getting to
know God took a
back seat to
striving to
learn His will
for me. His will
for me was there
the whole time.
What an awesome
message about
God it is to
know that His
will for me is
to know Him! And
doing His will,
or knowing God,
is what guides
my steps in
life.