v1: Man makes his plans, and then we find out the Lord totally had something else in mind.
v2: We always justify and rationalize things but God knows the real reason we do anything.
v3: If we are committed to following God, then we will be doing what we do for the right reasons.
v4: God created a people to worship Him voluntarily. He could have made us as robots who automatically love God unquestioningly, but to do so wouldn't be love. Therefore, He gives man whom he has created a choice to follow and obey Him or not. Romans 1 says we're all born knowing God, in adition to Creation and our conscience as evidence of God's existence, so the wicked are thus sentencing themselves to eternity in Hell.
v6: We can try to be good in our own strength, but it's only through taking advantage of the mercy Jesus offers us at the cross and the truth whom Jesus is, and then living a life of reverence toward God that we can truly measure up to God's standard in His eyes and stop committing the sins we have been.
v8: You can have a lot of money but if you don't know the Lord, that wealth will all come to nothing in the end, whereas if you are poor but a follower of Jesus, you at least know you have rightstanding with the eternal God.
v9: Again, we can make our plans, but it's the Lord who ultimately decides what comes to fruition.
v10: On judgment day, no one will wind up in Hell who shouldn't have. Our perfect God doesn't make mistakes.
v11: Since God makes everything, even the metals used to produce weights and measures for totaling prices at the time this was written, then to defraud someone is a much more serious sin than we would think.
v12: The institution of civil government was established by God for the purpose of keeping godly order in society. Therefore, if a king is doing evil as well as encouraging evil in some way, that is a horribly wicked sin since that man is perverting an institution ordained by God. (See also Romans 13.)
v13: Earthly rulers are supposed to love truth, including He who is the truth.
v14: To break a civil law should be the same as breaking God's law because, as civil government is an institution brought about by God, His law and man's law should harmonize. Therefore, a wise man will obey God's law, thus simultaniously obeying man's law, hence not having to fear the wrath of the legal system.
v15: The civil leaders should promote life, not have laws permitting abortion. Earthly rulers should also act in accordance with God in every other way, such that in being around them, one should feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.
v16: Again, all the wealth in the world isn't going to do us any good in the end if we don't have godly wisdom and understanding to know what to do with it.
v17: Jesus is the way. If we follow Him, are soul is safe.
v18: This verse is often slightly misquoted, but I'm thankful the sentiment is still out there. I've definitely found this verse to prove itself true oftentimes.
v19: It's better to have spent your life with humble and godly poor people than to be punished for the sin of participating in filthy lucre at the judgment.
v23: If we have pure hearts filled with Jesus then we will say wise, intelligent things.
v25: People think they know best, but how wrong they're going to be proven in the end.
v31: Our society, to the extent it has any respect left for elderly people, tends to go with the notion that if someone is elderly, that automatically means they are wise. However, this is only ultimately and truly the case if that person is a follower of Christ. I've seen plenty of foolish and immature old people in my time.
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