The King’s Heart (Psalm 21:1-13)
“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases. All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart. To do righteousness and justice is more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Haughty eyes and a proud heart— the guides of the wicked—are sin. The plans of the diligent bring plenty, as surely as haste leads to poverty. Making a fortune by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist, a deadly pursuit. The violence of the wicked will sweep them away because they refuse to do what is just. The way of a guilty man is crooked, but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife. The soul of the wicked man craves evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; and when a wise man is instructed, he acquires knowledge.
The Righteous Onea considers the house of the wicked; He brings the wicked to ruin. Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too shall cry out and receive no answer. A gift in secret soothes anger, and a covert bribe pacifies great wrath. Justice executed is a joy to the righteous, but a terror to the workers of iniquity.
The man who strays from the path of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead. He who loves pleasure will become poor; the one who loves wine and oil will never be rich. The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, and the faithless for the upright.
Better to live in the desert than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife. Precious treasures and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man consumes them. He who pursues righteousness and loving devotion finds life, righteousness, and honor. A wise man scales the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust. He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from distress. Mocker is the name of the proud and arrogant man—of him who acts with excessive pride.
The craving of the slacker kills him because his hands refuse to work. All day long he covets more, but the righteous give without restraint. The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—how much more so when brought with ill intent! A lying witness will perish, but the man who listens to truth will speak forever.
A wicked man hardens his face, but the upright man makes his way sure. There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD. A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”
““The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases. All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart. To do righteousness and justice is more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice.” Most of us feel very insignificant when it comes to current events. How can we possibly have any influence over world leaders? Proverbs 21:1 gives us the answer: PRAY! God can move the hearts of leaders just as easily as He directs the paths of streams and rivers. There are many books documenting the effects of prayer groups in England and America during World War II. At one point, the Germans could easily have overrun England, and yet they did not. Why? Hitler suddenly changed his mind. Later, it was found that prayer groups in England were praying specifically for that very thing to occur.
“Haughty eyes and a proud heart— the guides of the wicked—are sin. The plans of the diligent bring plenty, as surely as haste leads to poverty. Making a fortune by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist, a deadly pursuit. The violence of the wicked will sweep them away because they refuse to do what is just. The way of a guilty man is crooked, but the conduct of the innocent is upright.” We don’t hear the term “dot com millionaires: very much now, but decades ago, there were those who rose to prominence by their sales through the internet. For those judicious enough to diversify their investments, all remains well; however, for those who have not changed their methods, the dot com bonanza has evaporated just as these verses tell us.
“Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife…. Better to live in the desert than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife.” During my time running mission hospitals, I have coped with problems of staff accommodation. Years ago, one couple were so easily offended that they could scarcely tolerate any of their neighbors, making it impossible for the neighbors to tolerate them in return. It was actually a relief when the couple chose to move out in the middle of the night, claiming they were being attacked spiritually. Unfortunately, their abrupt departure rendered it impossible for us to investigate what might be happening.
“He who pursues righteousness and loving devotion finds life, righteousness, and honor. A wise man scales the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust. He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from distress.” Once more, the writers of Proverbs are praising righteous and wise behavior. Frequently, we are our own worst enemies, creating unnecessary problems for ourselves by irritating those around us. Here in Ghana, many people live in compound houses where they will have a sitting room, a bedroom, a toilet and bath, and a small kitchen area. Such houses may contain as many as 15-20 units. Under such circumstances, normal social conventions become vitally important; without them, neighbors may struggle to get along peaceably.
“There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD. A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.” A popular Gospel chorus in Ghana says, “Who has the final say? Jesus Christ has the final say!” The Ruler of the Universe is not impressed by military might or technology or any other created thing because He is far more powerful. When facing trials, we need to rely on God and not on our own wisdom, for God can help us when nobody else can.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to rely on You rather than on ourselves or on any other technology or weapon. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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