When we’re facing death, we still have to deal with all the temporal things.  We have to deal with our emotions.  We deal with the different aspects of our intellect.  We have to deal with the fiery darts of the enemy, the accuser of God.  We look at all of these different things, but if we could see the eternal, we’d know God is ordering our steps, amen?  Oh, we’ll get off course in life, and we’ve seen this many times in the Scriptures, but God is going to bring us back on course, and He’s determined this day for each of us.

In Proverbs 16:9 we see, “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.”  A man’s heart devises his way.  It means to create and set course, or have inventions that we’ve come up with in our own minds and our own hearts.  And all of us, of course, do that in our lives, but the Lord directs our steps.  Don’t you love that passage?  It means He sets us right.  God will always put those with an honest heart, those that are seeking His glory and His will, He’ll put us back on track, praise God!  He’ll bring us back into that place because this story has already been prepared.

He goes on and speaks in Proverbs 19:21, “There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless, the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.”  Hallelujah!  Many devices, many projects—how many projects do you have going on right now either in your mind or already in the works?  We have all these great ideas, even things for the kingdom of God.  “I’m going to do this for the kingdom, and I’m going to do that for the kingdom.”  Let’s remind ourselves “if the Lord wills.”  Amen?  If we’re outside His will, nothing is going to stand the judgment of the fire of God.  If it’s not by Him, if it’s not for Him, it doesn’t stand in that day of judgment.  It’s appointed unto men once to die and then the judgment.  What kind of fruit are we leaving behind?  What’s going to stand the test?  How much of it is self-will?  How much of it is self-determined?  How much of it is for self-gratification?  And how much for the glory of God?  Oh, we’re going to get off course, and our flesh, with the sin that is in it, is going to at times influence our decisions.  But those that have hearts that are right, those that humble themselves, in due time God will exalt us.  He’ll put us back into that victory, praise God.  He’ll put us back on that course that pleases Him.  And that’s where we find the rest in knowing that God is setting this course for us.

Ecclesiastes 7:13 says, “Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?”  Don’t you like that passage?  This just says God has determined certain things for us, and we’re not going to change that course.  Do we realize that there is not a way to open doors that God has closed, amen?  Who’s the door?  Jesus!  He’s the door to that sheepfold, praise God!  And basically, all that this is saying is, try to leave your intellect out of it, and just trust that God has already set a course for you, and it’s going to work out for your good and for His glory, amen?  And He doesn’t need us adding to or taking away from His plan.  We just find that rest that is in God and are able to rejoice in His goodness.  Our God is good! Hallelujah!