"Man proposes, but God disposes" - where did this expression come from and what does it mean

A lot of expressions entered our lives from Orthodox books. This is not surprising - after the official adoption of Christianity has passed more than two thousand years. Yes, and not only in time. Until 1917, all life was subordinated to the Orthodox calendar. For example: in pre-Easter fasting was not just a restriction on food, but at that time all entertainment establishments, including the theater, were closed. Even in educational institutions there was such an object as the "Law of God." All those who learned to read / write were familiar with the relevant literature.

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Therefore, it is not surprising that very often in ordinary life some passages were quoted. An example of this is the expression "A man proposes, but God disposes." In this case, this is a literal quote from the Orthodox book "Imitation of Christ."

This expression means:
From a religious point of view, every true believer should blindly trust the Almighty, because he knows best how to be for the good of man.
In our time, in ordinary secular speech, this expression can be heard quite often. As a rule, it is used in those cases when it did not turn out to realize any plans. meaning of expression. For example: I wanted to buy a thing at a discount, but did not have time, you got ahead of me. Or dreamed of going on vacation on the coast, but at work the next one was not let go of you. In this case, it means that you had to change the plans for reasons beyond your control.