Text: The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
² All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the Lord weighs the spirit.
³ Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.
⁴ The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
    even the wicked for the day of trouble. (Proverbs 16:1-4, ESV)

The four verses above remain some of the most powerful words for me each time I meditate upon them. There are at least four reasons why.

First, they teach that intentionality is real. Verse 1, for example, acknowledges the reality that the motives of man are just that–motives. Man’s will is central to his nature; he is not neutral; his appetites and desires to a large degree and extent define who and what he is. The way Jesus Himself phrased it in Luke 6:45 is, “for out of the abundance of the heart his [man’s] mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45, ESV). Some country wisdom I heard growing up: “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket.”

Second, verse 2 reminds me that we easily deceive ourselves. I heard one of my students say recently something that has stuck with me: “We tend to judge others based on their actions but judge ourselves based upon our intentions.” I believe that qualifies as a truth bomb. Don’t we find it’s much easier to correct other people but find it more tempting to give ourselves a pass? We so often think ourselves and our motives are pure, but God “weighs” us, so to speak. He sees the truth. And He has ways of teaching us the truth about ourselves.

Third, verse 3 has notes by it in almost every copy of Scripture I have except in my preaching Bible (that’s the only one I don’t write in). Verse 3 goes right to the heart of the issue. Why should the believer do what he does? Because he’s committed to the Lord. How and why will God establish that work? Well, in short, via His means. He uses means to His ends. Think of it this way. Are believers commanded to pray? Yes, of course. Over and over again, we are taught to pray. But doesn’t God know the end from the beginning? Again, yes, of course. So, why pray? Because God ordains means to His determined ends. The prayers of the saints are part of His means to His ends. Philippians 2:13 emphasizes the same theme: “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Believers are to “work out” our salvation with fear and trembling while simultaneously knowing that God superintends it all.

Fourth, I see the greatest comfort I know of in the Christian faith: God’s holy sovereignty. If I did not believe that God had made everything for its purpose, even the wicked, I don’t know how one could intellectually and honestly have hope. The world is so clearly fallen–and I see that I am just a microcosm of the world macrocosm–the cosmos screams out for redemption. That is, you and I (to use biblical language) groan due to the fallen nature of things.

But verse 4 of Proverbs 16 reminds us that this is not a random roll of the dice. Just the opposite. The creation is under God’s dominion. That means that even Hamas’ terrorism is being used by God. Even the wickedness of Hamas is under God’s control.

Consider the alternative. What if John Lennon was right, that “there’s no hell below us, above us only sky”? Well, what are you going to do about evil in that kind of sentimental theology? No one there to arbitrate. No right, no wrong, no heaven, no hell, just babies being decapitated and women burned alive and dragged through the streets like scenes from Homer’s Odyssey. John Lennon was a musical prodigy and I love listening to many of his and McCartney’s tunes, but the theology and worldview of “Imagine” is sentimental bilge. See how far Hamas lets you get away with the theology of “Imagine.”

Scripture teaches that “The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble” (Proverbs 16:4, ESV). Everything.

Encouragement: In the interim I cling to some of the most beautiful lines in literature and in the Scriptures:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8, ESV).

At the same time, let believers pray, while remaining deeply aware of our own fallenness and dependence upon God, but hearing from the Scriptures that God has made everything and rules every last bit of it, and none of anything He has made escapes His view or judgment.