by Anna Haiar
Firm Foundations
“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps”
Proverbs 16:9, English Standard Version
A senior teacher and I recently discussed last-minute lesson plan changes because the class wasn’t quite at the level I had assumed. We decided to halt the planned curriculum and detour into a refresher/review unit to give students time to catch up to the level they needed. I lamented being three weeks into the school year before realizing this, but she reminded me that we often have false starts and must adjust our expectations to ensure long-term success. It’s better to have a false start early in the semester than to keep forging ahead and risk losing students’ skills and understanding.
That conversation stayed with me because it describes more than a classroom. We plan our courses, our work, our families, and our walk with God as if we already know the ground we are standing on. Then we discover gaps we did not expect. Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Our planning is not the problem. Assuming the foundation is already solid can be.
Jesus made the same point in Matthew 7:24. The wise builder hears His words and puts them into practice, digging down to the rock. The foolish builder rushes the structure onto sand. Both houses look fine at first. Only one survives the storm. Going back three weeks to review is not wasted time; it is the work of laying a foundation that can actually hold what comes next.
God is not embarrassed by our mid-course corrections. False starts are evident throughout the Bible: Moses spent years in Midian after a disastrous first attempt. Peter was restored after his denial, and Paul was turned around on the Damascus road. What looked like a false start became the place where God established their steps.
In teaching and in faith, the goal is not to finish the planned unit on schedule. The goal is that the people in front of us—and our own hearts—actually stand on something that will last. Better an early detour than a later collapse! Trust the Lord with the revised plan. He is still establishing the steps.
Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
