Hearts

O. T. #1480  "Hearts"
July 11, 2019
Proverbs 21
The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will. Proverbs 21:1

LET IT GLOW

In Solomon's day, kings possessed absolute authority and were often considered to be like gods. This proverb shows that God, not earthly rulers, has ultimate authority over world events. Although they may not have realized it, the earth's most powerful kings have always been under God's control. (Isaiah 10:5-8) Assyria didn't know it was part of God's plan to judge His people. God didn't create the world and let it go. We can find security in God's controlling today.

There have been some powerful rulers down through the ages-Pharaoh of Egypt, the king of Babylon, Caesar of Rome, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Stalin, and Hitler. Some were good leaders and some were not, just as America has had. No matter how powerful a man may become politically, no man can act in independence of God. Many of these rulers thought they could, and men today may still think they can, but the truth is that no man is free from God, so no man can act independently. There is no king, ruler, nor any individual that can act independently of God.
(Resource: Proverbs, by J. Vernon McGee)

The king's heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; He guides it wherever He pleases. (NLT)

The books of Daniel and Esther show us this principle. How important it is for us Christians to pray for our President's decisions. We believe that God controls the flow of water in rivers, so a Sovereign God can control world leaders. We must pray for those foreign leaders that God would influence them, and not Satan; that they would support God's Beloved Israel.

Here's the bottom line, friends: Do we desire for God's hand to direct our heart?

LET IT GROW

We may mistakenly think we are doing right, but God sees the motives behind our actions.

Verse 2 says, Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

In the Hebrew language, pondereth means to balance, measure out, arrange, test.

Haven't we always been experts in justifying our personal actions, resulting in self-righteousness?
Previously, we learned that a high look and a proud heart result in sacrifices unacceptable to God.

Evaluate our motives by asking, "Would God be pleased with my real reasons for doing this?" When our motives are to receive something in return, God is not pleased.

LET IT GO

Direct my heart, Lord, placing Your desires in me.
May my motives be from a pure of heart.
Glory to You today.