Today's Encouragement

Chalk-Line Faith 

SUZIE ELLER

“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.” Proverbs 16:1 (ESV)

A few years ago, I was praying for a close friend. She had made choices that created a personal crisis. It had the power to destroy almost everything she cared about. As I prayed for her, I asked, “Lord, what can I do?” Though I was asking God for help, I was already on task.


I would offer wisdom. I would be her accountability partner. I would give encouragement to support her through the hard days ahead. I would help her navigate this crisis.

As I prayed, however, the answer tumbling into my heart was not what I expected.

This is not your assignment.

This was surprising. It seemed right to offer words of wisdom or help her make a plan. It seemed best to help her take the next step.

But that’s not what God was asking of me in this situation. As the weeks passed, I started seeing this journey with my friend as “chalk-line faith.” It was like God had drawn a chalk line around my feet. Everything within that chalk line was something I could do. I could pray. I could be present. I could love her.

Everything outside of that chalk line was either my friend’s assignment or God’s.

Years later, I’ve realized the power of chalk-line faith. It’s something God has brought to mind in other situations. It’s not easy, but I’ve learned from it.

In today’s key passage, we find a wise saying that helps us when we’re making plans, especially if those plans concern someone else.

Proverbs 16:1 says, "The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.”

My plan was to rescue my friend, because I loved her. Chalk-line faith recognized that God loves her even more than I do.

My plan was to offer words of wisdom, perhaps even a plethora of them. Chalk-line faith meant I held back my well-meaning words because the Lord may have had something different to say.

My plan, though I may not have admitted it, was to help fix the situation and soften the consequences. Chalk-line faith meant God wanted to do His work in her and for her to trust in Him as she did the hard work.

Chalk-line faith wasn’t easy in the beginning. There were multiple times words bubbled inside of me dying to get out, but each time, I imagined that chalk line.

One day she called and said, “Thanks for listening. I really appreciate all the words you spoke to me. They were so wise.”

I smiled at this. I had not given one piece of advice, and the words I did share contained no plans, no fix-its, but simply let her know I was praying and I loved her.

Instead, she and God were talking daily, and He was doing an incredible work in her heart. It wasn’t an easy or consequence-free path, but it was one that was changing her.

Proverbs 17:27a says, “A truly wise person uses few words” (NLT).

My friend was not the only one God was teaching through “chalk-line faith.” I was learning as well.

Wisdom is not found in our plans or our words. Wisdom is found in allowing God to have the first and final word.