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Proverbs 21 (ESV)
1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
3 To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice…
30 No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
can avail against the Lord.
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but the victory belongs to the Lord.
REFLECTION:
These verses emphasize the absolute sovereignty of God in our lives. In the time of King Solomon, the king had absolute authority and was even regarded as a god. But these verses point out that only God has the ultimate authority to govern everything. No matter how powerful the kings in the world are, their power is bestowed by God, and their minds are all under the control of God. People in the world often like to be in charge of everything, forget God’s sovereignty, and will be self-righteous and make excuses for what they do, but God can see through people’s motives through their excuses. When it is difficult to discern whether what we are doing is correct, we need to be cautious. We must first seek God’s will, then examine our motives, and finally make a decision. God is pleased that we listen to His Words, but He is more pleased that we follow His Words and exercise justice and fairness in the world. And we should remember that without God’s permission, no matter how smart and wise we are, no matter how much we prepare, it will be futile. Of course, with God’s help, we must also do our part. It is God’s responsibility to accomplish things, but this does not relieve us of our responsibilities. If you can do your part, God will be able to use you to accomplish His will.
PRAYER:
Come to God humbly, recognize God’s absolute sovereignty in your life, and offer your praise, worship, and gratitude to God. Ask God to remove your self-righteous rebellion and pride and give you wisdom to seek God’s will in everything you do. Ask God to give you the ability to work hard in everything you do, not to deviate from God’s guidance, and to fulfill your duty.
HYMN:
Center: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnHhKjYmMqM
