Proverbs 16:6-9

Proverbs 16:6-9
English Standard Version
6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
    and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.
7 When a man's ways please the LORD,
    he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 Better is a little with righteousness
    than great revenues with injustice.
9 The heart of man plans his way,
    but the LORD establishes his steps.

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It is only because of the LORD's covenant love (His steadfast love), sometimes called lovingkindness and other times called mercy, and by His faithfulness that we have atonement and forgiveness for our sins.  It is the finished work of the Father, Son and Spirit that they agreed to before the beginning of time itself to make this way of salvation and redeem a people to themselves before men and women were ever created.  When I say it is finished, the process of penal substitutionary atonement is finished since Jesus has suffered and died in our place, been buried and resurrected on the third day.  Those who have been atoned for should have a change in nature and spirit.  They should fear the LORD and obey His commandments, and this will help turn them away from evil as God's Law keeps us from doing evil.

There are benefits to being obedient to the Word of the LORD (the Word of God, and in this case, the Law) other than simply being in a right relationship with God.  We are also in a right relationship with other people, and Solomon promises that even your enemies will have a hard time finding a reason to not get along with you (we know there are times they will still mistreat you out of jealousy or hatred for your devotion to God like they did with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah).  In general, obedience brings blessing and peace here and now, and definitely in the life everlasting.

It is better to have little physical wealth and have a good name and reputation because you are known for being a righteous man or woman of God than to be wealthy and have a bad reputation as one who is unjust.  You should never sacrifice your integrity or the Name of God (His reputation is on the line, since you are called by His Name) for any amount of gold or silver or any material possession or any promise of power, prestige, or popularity that could be made to you.  It is better to have everlasting treasure in heaven than to live for treasure here on earth that will soon be destroyed in the coming judgment.

Once again, we see today that the man plans His future in his heart, but it is the LORD who is sovereign and establishes his steps.  This is not to say that we believe in fatalism or that the LORD causes us to sin, or any of those things that we know to defy the teachings of Scripture, but we know that God's general purposes for all of creation and His specific purposes for each and every one of us will be fulfilled.