Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed

This passage from Proverbs 16:3 seems like a simple one, but it tends to challenge me.

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

When you read over that, it seems like, sure, all I have to do is to have faith in God and try to do God's work, and all of my plans will work out.

But how would that work exactly, and why don't my plans work out very often?

I could commit to flying, for example, but no matter how much I pray about it I am still going to fall straight to the ground if I jump off of my roof.

I have tried to commit my life to God and my plans to God plenty of times, but I am still a poor, struggling single parent who has had all kinds of problems. I have prayed a lot about money and tried different things to become more successful, but my plans have not worked out.

So what does that say about me or this Bible Verse?

Well, first of all, I may not be rich, famous or even out of debt, but I am getting by somehow and I know that God has helped me with that. I'm often quite amazed that I have made it this far.

I am here today and I really do have a lot of blessings in my life. My original plans may not have worked out just like I thought, but I am probably better off and happier with my life right now than I might have been.

If I had been an NBA star by now instead of getting cut from the eighth grade basketball team, for example, I might be miserable at age 43 and wishing I had led a normal life.

Also, while I say that I have tried to commit my life to God, I know that I have failed miserably at that time after time. I have made numerous mistakes and too often tried to do everything my way while I forgot about God. I can do much better in this respect, and I need to give God more of a chance to see where I am led.

Finally, if I really want to fly, God has made it so that I can. I might not be able to fly like a bird, but I can get in a plane, parachute or even hang-glide. And if I really want to feel what it is like to fly, all I have to do is go swimming.

God provides answers and God provides hope. Sometimes you have to open your eyes and look for it, but it is always there.

I hope you find some answers and hope today, and I hope that you can commit your plans and your life to God. I'm going to try to do the same in my life.

Also, always remember that God loves you and will help you with your plans, even if you don't recognize or understand it right away.