TOPIC : “HE WHO CONTROLS THE SOUL“

Text:  Proverbs 21:1-15

1. The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water; he turneth it whithersoever he will.

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

3. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

4. An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

5. The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

6. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.

7. The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment.

8. The way of man is froward and strange; but as for the pure, his work is right.

9. It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

10. The soul of the wicked desireth evil; his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.

11. When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise; and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.

12. The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked; but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.

13. Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

14. A gift in secret pacifieth anger; and a reward in the bosom strong wrath.

15. It is joy to the just to do judgment; but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

KEY VERSE: Proverbs 21:1

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”

MESSAGE

The stamp of infallible divine wisdom shows up everywhere one turns in the book of Proverbs. The Lord intended it so to remind us that He is the Source of all that Solomon was inspired to write. He reminds us through these sayings that, indeed, He gave to Solomon what he requested. But more than this, the Lord designed the solemn maxims to go beyond the generation of Solomon to benefit believers of our age.

Solomon in our text says we must see God in comprehensive perspectives: He not only works in the affairs of men, He also controls their activities in order to accomplish His purpose for the existence of the world. God directs the heart of the king to make him rule in the way that pleases Him. No matter what course man takes, God works behind the scene to achieve His goal and annul the plan of the wicked.

There are warnings against arrogance, pride and the use of fraudulent means to get rich. The peace one gets in a lonely place is preferable to the company of a clamorous woman in a big house. After a series of more pieces of advice, the Lord then cautions us not to ignore the cry of the poor. These destitute include the unsaved who need us to feed them with the glorious gospel.

The early period of Solomon’s reign is recorded as the peak of Israel’s economic power. He achieved this feat because he abided by the wisdom given him by God. His decline began when he forsook God’s wisdom. Man will always derail if he departs from the word of the Lord.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
God’s wisdom saves while man’s destroys.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 41-44

Daily Manna is the daily devotional of the Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry (DCLM). It is an extraction of God’s Word designed to draw the sincere seeker closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word.