Do Lord

Proverbs 21:1-2 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.

God Is In Control Of All

Over the past few years I’ve heard a lot of complaining about our Presidents from both sides, Democratic or Republican. I have to admit, I’ve done my fair share of complaining. But the Scripture reminds us that – rather than complaining – we should rely on prayer and on the sovereignty of God. God can and does control the human heart. God can control the heart of the King, whether the King is a believer or a non-believer. The Bible is full of examples of this.

When the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed and the city was in disarray, he was very upset. But rather that grieve and despair, Nehemiah went to God in prayer. Nehemiah’s prayer shows how a believer should pray to change the heart of a king.

Nehemiah 1:4-7 (ESV) {Nehemiah said} I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God Who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before You day and night for the people of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against You. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that You commanded Your servant Moses.

Nehemiah did not blame God nor the enemies of Israel for the state that Jerusalem was in. Nehemiah began with REPENTANCE. He confessed “the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against You”, saying “Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that You commanded your servant Moses”. Nehemiah died not blame shift. He didn’t curse the Republicans or the Democrats. He didn’t look for fault elsewhere. Nehemiah acknowledged that the state of Jerusalem was the fault of the citizens of God’s Kingdom. They failed to love and honor God.

Nehemiah 1:8-10 (ESV) Remember the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make My name dwell there.’ 10 They are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.

Having REPENTED, Nehemiah then called on the PROMISES of God. Though Israel had failed to keep their promises, our God has never failed to be faithful. The Scripture says:

2 Timothy 2:13 (NLT) If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Who He is.

Nehemiah was repenting for Israel, and asking God to hear His repentance and to restore Israel to the land. Nehemiah then asked God to move the heart of the unbelieving King Artaxerxes:

Nehemiah 1:11 (ESV) O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who delight to fear Your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king.

What happened? God caused Artaxerxes to appoint Nehemiah as leader of a group to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls of the city. The King even gave Nehemiah the materials necessary to rebuild the walls and the city. Our God is the:

1 Timothy 6:15 (ESV) … the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords

Though God gives us free will, God can over ride free will when it suits His will. When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon exalted himself above God, The Lord spoke from Heaven:

Daniel 4:31-34 (ESV) {God spoke} from Heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” 33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws. 34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;

It is God Who sets up nations and establishes boundaries. It is God Who is ultimately in charge of all things. My commentary notes:

“In 538 BC the Lord moved King Cyrus of Persia to pass an edict allowing the Hebrew captives to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Cyrus said, “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem. which is in Judah” (Ezra 1:2). Centuries later, God used Caesar Augustus to cause Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born in fulfillment of the prophecy of Micah 5:2. Luke records the fact that Caesar Augustus, Emperor of Rome, passed a decree that all the world should be registered. Therefore, everyone went to his own town to be registered (Luke 2:1–3). The decree caused Joseph to go to Bethlehem, his ancestral town, and to take Mary with him (Luke 2:4–5). While they were in Bethlehem, Jesus was born (Luke 2:6–7).”

Our God is in control!

God Wants Our Obedience

Proverbs 21:3 (KJV) To DO justice and judgment [is] more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

The sacrifice in view here is the religious sacrifice of giving an animal without spot or blemish, or an item of value. Many people today believe that they can give money or goods to the Church, or make token visits to the meetings of the Church, and that these things are pleasing to God. But as we just read in Proverbs 21:2, “the Lord pondereth the hearts”. The Lord is not pleased with outward religion. Our Lord Jesus told the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:23-24 (KJV) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 [Ye] blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

They paid the TITHE. Jesus told them, “Good, you should have done that”. But God is more concerned about “judgment, mercy, and faith”. It is easy to write a check. You can look at your income, compute 10% of that (which is what a tithe is), and write a check or drop cash in the plate. That’s fine. Nothing wrong with that. Father Abraham paid a tithe of all he received to Melchizedek King of Salem, priest of the Most High God (Genesis 14:20). Praise God for it. But the Tithe is not much. What does God want?

God wants us to DO justice and judgment – to treat others as we would be treated. To be fair and even handed with everyone. To not be racist or mean spirited, but to live as children of Light and Life.

Jesus told us that

John 13:34-35 (NKJV) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Those who love the Lord do not just do the religious things – they do the righteous things. What are the sacrifices that most please God?

Psalm 51:17 (NKJV) The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart–These, O God, You will not despise.

A humble and repentant heart blesses the Lord. God loves those who admit their brokenness, and cast their lives upon His mercy. God also appreciates:

Hebrews 13:15 (ESV) Through {Jesus} then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.

To daily praise God for that which He has graciously given us. God is blessed when His children praise Him. “Offer to God a SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING, and perform your vows to the Most High” (Psalm 50:14). I believe God cherishes most of all when we as His children are obedient to His will. He can force our hand, but He would rather we obey Him because we love Him. When King Saul rebelled against God, puffing himself up because God had made him King of Israel, God told the Prophet Samuel:

1 Samuel 15:11 (NKJV) I greatly regret that I have set up Saul [as] king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.”

Samuel went to Saul and told him:

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NKJV) Has the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, [And] to heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion [is as] the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness [is as] iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from [being] king.”

God is pleased when His children obey Him, and appreciate Him, doing as He says. “Father knows best”. Always.

Proverbs 21:4 (KJV) An high look, and a proud heart, [and] the plowing of the wicked, [is] SIN.

Pride is actually confusion of the heart – it comes from a wicked heart. “AN HIGH LOOK”. There are those who believe themselves better than others. They are filled with vanity and a high self opinion. Some are self righteous, puffed up. They tend toward gossiping, tearing down others. God says:

Psalm 101:5 (ESV) Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty {high} look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.

Those who are filled with pride, even their work is an abomination to God. The wicked plows, but never gives God credit for the plow or the field. If the wicked makes money, they never acknowledge that God caused “rain in due season” (Leviticus26:4; Deuteronomy 11:14) that caused the crop to grow. Pride cuts a person off from God, for in pride we become gods. It is as the Psalmist write:

Psalm 10:4 (ESV) In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek Him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

Haste Makes Waste

Proverbs 21:5 The thoughts of the DILIGENT {ḥārûṣ} tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

Word Study: The word translated “DILIGENT” is the Hebrew ḥārûṣ (pro. khaw-roots’). This is an interesting word, as it can be translated “sharp” (Job 41:30), “gold or golden” (Psalm 68:13; Proverbs 3:14; 8:10), or “diligent decision”. The intent of this proverb is to illustrate that old saying, “Haste makes Waste”.

If a decision is made too quickly, or you agree too suddenly, you may find yourself in a terrible trap. Jesus tells His disciples:

Luke 14:26-33 (NKJV) If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has [enough] to finish [it]– 29 “lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see [it] begin to mock him, 30 “saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 “Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 “Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Though Christ calls all to salvation, He wants us to know that there is a cost in coming to Him. We must REPENT, forsaking our old way of life, and then FOLLOW HIM.

Those who are in Christ need to be ḥārûṣ. We need to carefully consider things before committing to them. All things must be weighed against the glory of God. All decisions must be supported by the Scripture.

I love how Jesus never made a statement without carefully considering His Words. His enemies could not force Him to say something foolish, nor to commit hastily.

There Is A Payday Someday

Proverbs 21:6-7 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.

You may gain a fortune by lying. There are many so called “Prosperity Preachers” who have gained vast fortunes by lying. T.D. Jakes has made $20 million, Jesse Duplantis $25 million, Joel Osteen $95 million, Pat Robertson $105 million. They have made their millions off of the back of their sheep. In the end, dear ones, they seek death. The Bible says of Heaven:

Revelation 21:27 (NKJV) But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

The Apostle Peter spoke of these false prophets, saying:

2 Peter 2:1-6, 9 (KJV) But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned [them] with an overthrow, making [them] an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; … 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

These “Prosperity Preachers” sell lies and false gospels, and live in mansions and on rich estates. They will stand before the Lord one day to be judged. When Kenneth Copeland ($700 million) was questioned about his ministry, he simply replied “I’m a very wealthy man”. He is, and he’s proud of it. The Christian Tribune reported:

“Kenneth Copeland has a fortune in real estate as well. The Houston Chronicle found that he lives in a $7 million mega-mansion. Because his ministry owns the house, he’s never paid taxes on it. According to NY Post, since he claims it to be a ‘clergy residence’, he will never pay taxes on the house. … Copeland said that, when people drive by the mega-mansion, “they will know there is a God”. He also explained God told him to build a dream home his wife wanted. Copeland has also owned a number of exclusive cars from brands like Aston Martin, Porsche, and Rolls Royce. He said to reporters: “You may think that house is too big. You may think it’s too grand. I don’t care what you think. I heard from heaven. Glory to God, hallelujah!”

But there is a payday coming someday. Paul was a tent maker. Peter a fisherman. Though it is not a sin to be wealthy (for Abraham and Solomon were wealthy), those who are wealthy are to use their wealth not to buy more things, but to help others. The Apostle wrote:

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NASB95) Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 [Instruct them] to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

The God of Heaven does not make a man wealthy, then whisper to him “build a big mansion so you can show off. Buy jets and a 20 million dollar airport so you don’t have to fly with the lost”. The wealthy Christian seeks to bless others with their wealth. And Jesus must always be first.

The Bible tells us about a rich young Ruler who came to see Jesus (Matthew 19:16-26). The young man wanted to know “what good thing shall I do to inherit eternal life?”. Jesus told that young man:

Matthew 19:21-22 (NASB95) If you wish to be complete, go [and] sell your possessions and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

God didn’t whisper to him, “Go build a mansion to impress the lost”. He said, “Put Me first”. Jesus told us:

Matthew 6:24 (NKJV) No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon {money}.

One of the best movies I ever watched was called Schindler’s List. The movie was actually based on a true story. During World War 2 in German Occupied Poland an industrialist named Oskar Schindler hatched a plot to save as many Jews as possible from being murdered in the concentration camps. Though it bankrupted him, Schindler saved approximately 1,200 Jews from the Holocaust. His only regret was that he hadn’t saved more.

Whether the man is in Heaven or hell today, I don’t know. But I do know that God does not give us riches so that we can make more riches. He blesses us so that we might bless others. The Way of Christ is to DO mercy and judgment. To love others, and in so doing to show our love for God.