July 8, 2009
Central Truth
Give God the reins of your life, and give Him the credit for the victory.
A horse is prepared for the day of battle,
but the victory is from the Lord.
(Proverbs 21:31)
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.
4
Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
the lamp
1
21:4
Or the plowing
of the wicked, are sin.
5
The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
6
The getting of treasures by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.
2
21:6
Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Latin; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
7
The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,
because they refuse to do what is just.
8
The way of the guilty is crooked,
but the conduct of the pure is upright.
9
It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
10
The soul of the wicked desires evil;
his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.
11
When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;
when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
12
The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked;
he throws the wicked down to ruin.
13
Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself call out and not be answered.
14
A gift in secret averts anger,
and a concealed bribe,
3
21:14
Hebrew a bribe in the bosom
strong wrath.
15
When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.
16
One who wanders from the way of good sense
will rest in the assembly of the dead.
17
Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man;
he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
18
The wicked is a ransom for the righteous,
and the traitor for the upright.
19
It is better to live in a desert land
than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.
20
Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling,
but a foolish man devours it.
21
Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness
will find life, righteousness, and honor.
22
A wise man scales the city of the mighty
and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
23
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue
keeps himself out of trouble.
24
“Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man
who acts with arrogant pride.
25
The desire of the sluggard kills him,
for his hands refuse to labor.
26
All day long he craves and craves,
but the righteous gives and does not hold back.
27
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
how much more when he brings it with evil intent.
28
A false witness will perish,
but the word of a man who hears will endure.
29
A wicked man puts on a bold face,
but the upright gives thought to
4
21:29
Or establishes
his ways.
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.
On her wedding day the bride dresses to look her best for her husband. When a football player walks onto the field for his first game, he has spent hours preparing for the game. People work hard to make everything just right; we prepare for the perfect wedding or assume our team will win because we worked diligently. But no matter how hard we work, we must remember we cannot do it all on our own. And the truth is, our best made plans don't always align with God’s. Boy, that is hard to grasp at times!
I love the movie Facing the Giants. It offers a picture of how we cannot assume we will always have victory based on our desire alone. One of my favorite scenes is when Coach Grant talks to the pastor who stopped by his office one day. The pastor told the coach a story about two farmers who both desperately needed rain, but only one of those farmers had prepared his fields for that rain. He asked the coach if he was preparing to receive victory. As it turned out, Coach Grant's team won. It was a picture of God's desire for His people to trust Him with their dreams, as well as the importance of giving God credit.
Sometimes God answers our prayers in the way we want. But even if God doesn't give us what we want, He is still God, He is still good, and His plan is still perfect. He desires to mold us to the point in which His plan becomes our plan. Our responsibility is to prepare. His is to choose the outcome.
The last two years of our marriage have been incredible. But just as a garden takes constant care, we have “worked in the fields” of our marriage daily, seeking the victory of a God-centered marriage. I implore you to prepare your fields to receive victory from the Lord.
1. Are you giving God credit for the success in your life?
2. How have you prepared the fields of your life for victory?
3. What is God waiting to have a conversation with you about as you seek your goals in life?