In their hearts humans plan their course,
    but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9

I have always been a huge fan of plans. From childhood I loved to sit back and imagine what my future path would be. Sometimes I even broke out pen(cil) and paper to calculate what it would take to get to where I wanted to go (when I was older I started using Excel. Yes. Excel)…

Has not my hand made all these things,
    and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
those who are humble and contrite in spirit,
and who tremble at my word.

Isaiah 66:2

Have you ever said the words “I’m sorry” without actually meaning it? I know that I have. More times than I can count.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

1 Corinthians 1:25

It’s odd to think about God being foolish or weak, isn’t it? Whenever I read today’s passage, it makes me wonder if the apostle Paul was trying to shock the Corinthians into listening to what he had to say.

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Matthew 5:46

Today I want to talk about something important: Road Rage.

Just kidding. Well, kind of.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7

Today’s verse needs a little context, doesn’t it? Samuel, a prophet of God, had arrived at the house of Jesse, where God had told him he would find the next king of Israel after Saul. Now Jesse had 8 sons, and when the first, Eliab, stood before him, Samuel thought, “Woah, this guy definitely looks like he could be a king.”