Proverbs 16:1

The plans of the heart belong to man,
but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

The mystery of how this truth takes place is deep, beyond our understanding. Our question is not how this can be, but why we are being told. What message is God conveying to us?

If you are rebelling against God, if you are plotting against him, then know that your best laid plans are but serving his will. Joseph’s brothers evil intentions were used to bring deliverance unknowingly for their families years later. Pharaoh’s hardened heart against the Israelites only served to magnify the saving power of their God. Rehoboam’s rejection of wise counsel led to the split of Israel, yet it happened in fulfillment of God’s own words. Shake your hand as you will against the God in heaven; you cannot defy his ultimate, mysterious counsels.

If you are the victim of unjust actions, know that, if you are in Christ, God uses all things for your good and for his glory. You do not need to understand the “why”; and, indeed, you will get caught in a never-ending tangle of trying to interpret every episode of your life if you make the attempt. We do not have the capability within ourselves to understand the deepest counsels of God. But we do have the capability to trust our heavenly Father who knows the number of hairs on our head. And we have all reason to trust him, seeing how he planned and carried forth the most mysterious, most wondrous plan of all – our redemption through Jesus Christ.

Let the rulers of this earth make all their plans; let the enemies of God shake their fists all they want. What will take place is what God will use for his glory and for the good of his people ultimately. Don’t worry about the plans laid against you in court or at the office or among your neighbors. Whatever anyone intends for evil, God intends (and will see that it happens) for good.