9. The Lord directeth. Everything that we do is done by the life that God lends us and therefore by His permission. Man devises but does not know whether he will live to carry out his plans. Obviously, in recognition of this truth some Christian people adopted the custom of saying, “God willing,” when they announced their future plans (see James 4:13-15).
It is necessary for man to plan wisely for his future actions, but all such plans should be checked against the revealed will and law of God in order that he may be sure they are in harmony with the divine standards. Deliberations should be conducted with a prayer for guidance and a willingness to have the proposed plans changed or obstructed by the Lord (see Luke 12:17-20; MB 150).