“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s design that prevails” (Prov 19:21).
Wise is the one who does not simply follow the inclinations of their own heart, but examines whether they are in accord with the Lord’s designs. Indeed, His designs prevail. Not infrequently, our abundant fantasies, dreams and desires serve only to confuse us. They cause us to live in an illusion and can even make us prisoners of certain expectations, which, in the end, are not fulfilled. Then they leave an emptiness and disappointment in the soul.
It is quite different when we seek the designs of our Father. In fact, it is not difficult to do so, because God never leaves unanswered those who seek Him and call Him sincerely.
The Father grants us the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Among them, it is especially the spirit of counsel that helps us to seek and recognize God’s designs. Even if we do not immediately or entirely understand what the plans of His Heart are, we know that they are always true and for our good. Thus, we learn to hope in God.
Wise is he who waits for the Lord’s instructions, until he clearly recognizes the light for the path he is to take. Indeed, it is the path of the Lord that we are to walk in. Will our Father leave us unanswered if we ask Him to instruct us in His ways and show us the next step to take?
“I shall instruct you and teach you the way to go; I shall not take my eyes off you” (Ps. 32:8).
Let us turn to our divine counselor – our Father will answer us! He can do so in many ways: whether He instructs us directly within ourselves, whether He gives us light through a word of Scripture, whether He offers us the right advice through our spiritual companion or another person, whether we read in a book precisely what we needed to hear, etc…
Let us refrain our own designs and present them trustingly to the Father. He will teach us to pay more and more attention to His plans and will purify our hearts of everything that is not in accordance with them.