Planning with Purpose

Opening Prayer

Father, we thank You for the gift of Your Word. Open our ears to hear Your truth today and soften our hearts to receive it. Give us faith to trust what You say, courage to obey what You command, and joy in walking with You. May Your Spirit guide us as we listen and respond.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction

Good morning church family, we’ve come a long way this summer. Week after week we’ve walked through the wisdom of God in Proverbs. We started with the fear of the Lord — the beginning of wisdom. We’ve looked at trusting the Lord, guarding our hearts, walking in purity, learning the difference between wisdom and folly, wisdom in relationships, and the power of our words.

And here we are today at the close of the series. And it’s fitting that we end here: “Planning with Purpose.”

Because every one of us makes plans. Some of you are planning Labor Day cookouts tomorrow. Others are planning your fall schedules — school routines, practices, business projects, maybe even Christmas already. And if you’re like me, you probably have a to-do list longer than you’ll ever get done.

But the question Proverbs raises is this: whose purpose are you living for? Are you making plans with God at the center — or are you making plans that look good on paper but leave Him out?

Let’s read our two anchor verses for today:

Proverbs 19:21 NKJV

21 There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

Proverbs 16:3 NKJV

3 Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.

These two verses go hand in hand. One calls us to commit our work to the Lord, the other reminds us that His purpose will stand.

So let’s walk through three truths today about our plans and God’s purpose.

I. Our Tendency to Plan Without God - Proverbs 19:21

Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.”

That Hebrew word for “plans” is machashavot - a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished. You and I are full of them. We can make a hundred plans in a day — how to fix the house, how to manage the budget, how to build a ministry, how to reach our goals.

But the verse says, only the Lord’s purpose will stand. That’s a strong word. It means His purpose will rise up, remain, and endure when all else falls away.

Think of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Humanity had a plan — “Let’s build a city and a tower with its top in the heavens. Let’s make a name for ourselves.” Sounds like a plan, doesn’t it? Organized, ambitious, visionary. But it was a plan without God. And in one act, the Lord confused their language and scattered them. Their plans crumbled. His purpose stood.

Application for us: we live in a culture that idolizes strategic planning. Companies spend millions on it. Families sketch it out in planners. Churches can do it too. And planning itself isn’t wrong — Proverbs actually commends diligence and foresight. But hear this — if God is not at the center, the best-laid plans will not stand.

II. The Call to Commit Our Plans to the Lord - Proverbs 16:3

Now Proverbs 16:3 gives us the positive side: “Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.”

The word “commit” is fascinating. In Hebrew it’s galal — literally, “to roll.” Picture rolling a heavy burden off your back and onto someone stronger. That’s what it means to commit your work to the Lord — to roll the weight of your plans off your shoulders and onto Him.

That changes how we pray, doesn’t it? Too often, we bring our plans to God and say, “Lord, bless this.” But this verse says the opposite. It says, roll it onto Him first, and let Him shape it.

And notice what the promise is: “your plans will be established.” That doesn’t mean God will rubber-stamp every dream you have. It means when you commit them to Him, He aligns them with His will, and they will stand because they rest on His foundation.

We see this in the life of Jesus. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” He entrusted His will and His plans to the Father. And through that surrender, God accomplished the greatest purpose in history — our redemption through the cross.

Application: before the calendar is full, before the contract is signed, before the commitment is made — we must roll it onto the Lord. Prayer is not the last step in planning; it is the first step.

III. Wisdom Brings Perspective on God’s Sovereignty - Proverbs 21:5; James 4:13-15; 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

Now let’s put these together. Scripture holds a beautiful tension. On one hand, Proverbs 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.” God calls us to plan carefully, to be diligent, to steward well. On the other hand, James 4:13–15 warns us not to boast about tomorrow. “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’”

So which is it? Should we plan, or should we just wait on God? The answer is yes. We plan diligently, but we hold our plans loosely. We work faithfully, but we surrender fully.

Think of a farmer. He plows, plants, waters, tends — he plans his harvest carefully. But ultimately, he cannot control the rain, the sun, or the growth. God gives the increase. Paul said it in 1 Corinthians 3:6–7: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”

That’s the wisdom Proverbs teaches — planning with humility, trusting the sovereignty of God.

IV. Living Purposefully Today - Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 3:5-6

So let’s bring this series to a close. Wisdom is not abstract philosophy. It is intensely practical.

We began with the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7).

We were called to trust Him with all our heart (Prov. 3:5–6).

We learned to guard our heart, to walk in purity, to speak life, to live faithfully in relationships.

And today, the final step is this: Commit your way to the Lord daily, and He will direct your path.

So let me ask you:

Do you make plans prayerfully or presumptuously?

Do you trust God’s purpose even when it interrupts your own?

Are your goals driven by wisdom — or by worldly success?

Conclusion

The wise life is not a perfect life. It is a surrendered life.

Picture a ship captain. He can steer, chart the course, adjust the sails. But the great currents of the ocean are beyond him. And those currents will carry him to places he could never reach by his own strength. That’s how it is with God’s purpose. We plan, we act, we work — but His will ultimately carries us where He wants us to be. And His will is always good.

Friends, here’s the greatest plan God has for anyone: salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. God knows that every human plan apart from Him leads to emptiness and ultimately, to death. But He sent Jesus to live the perfect life we could not live and to die the death we deserved, so that anyone who trusts in Him will receive forgiveness and eternal life.

Today, God is calling you to place your life in His hands, not just your plans, but your soul. Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He offers grace, forgiveness, and a future secure in Him — the ultimate example of a plan that will stand.

If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, God is calling you today. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to acknowledge your need for Him, believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again, and commit your life to Him. That’s the beginning of true wisdom and eternal life.

Would you like to respond to Him right now? You can pray silently in your heart:

“Lord Jesus, I admit I am a sinner and I have tried to live by my own plans and do things my way, I acknowledge my sins and repent and I am turning to you. I believe You died for my sins and rose again. I trust You as my Savior and commit my life to You. Thank You for Your forgiveness and the hope of eternal life. Help me to follow You all my days.”

If you prayed that prayer with a sincere and broken repentant heart, you have taken the most important step in your life. The next step is for you to make it known by sharing with others your new life God has given you today, we are about to close in prayer and during our final song of invitation, you are invited to come forward and speak with me, so I can present you to the congregation as new brother or sister in Christ. Because we would love to rejoice with you and help you in your next steps to grow in Christ.

Amen.

Father, thank You for teaching us this summer that true wisdom begins with fearing You. Today we commit our plans into Your hands. Forgive us when we lean on ourselves, and teach us to trust Your purpose above our own.

As we step into a new season, help us to live with open hands, speak with wisdom, and walk in Your will. May all we do bring glory to Jesus, who prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

In His name we pray, Amen.