Humans Plan Their Courses, but God Determines Their Steps
(Proverbs 16:1, 9)

Human beings who ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil make their own judgment in every human affair regarding what is good and what is evil. Even though they delude themselves into thinking that they are like God and act like God, the outcome of their actions solely depends on God’s decision.

1. Jonah who disobeyed God out of his own judgment
1) God commanded Jonah that he go to Nineveh, give a warning to people on the God’s wrath and His imminent judgment, and call for repentance.
2) Jonah heard that God’s judgment on Nineveh was imminent. And he jumped for joy as he looked for the fall of Assyria.
3) He rebelled against God’s judgment on what is good and evil and acted following his own judgment on good and evil.
- He tried to flee away from God to Tarshish.

2. God’s judgment and Jonah’s repentance
- Wild wind and wave and a big fish which preyed on Jonah and his three days of repentance
1) It is better to repent and live on than to be destroyed. *(Jonah 4:1-11)
2) Focus on the outcome of works.

3. God who establishes it
*(Jeremiah 33:1-3)
1) Know that God is the master of all works.
2) Leave everything before God, believe in Him, and give thanks to Him.
3) Expect that God will let us know of how He is working in our stead.

In our lives, we cannot be immune to large and small difficulties. If we stand on the foundation of knowing good and evil from God’s perspective, leave everything to God, and follow His footsteps, we will have positive outcomes. On the other hand, we will end up being much troubled if we do not heed God for His judgment on what is good and evil but continue with our own judgment on what is good and evil. (The Tower of Babel and the confusion of languages)