Proverbs 21:1

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about God’s sovereign rule over leadership:

Proverbs 21:1

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; 

 He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases. 

This proverb gives us insight how God actually directs and works with leaders. We all think that the boss, the politicians, the leaders of the world makes decisions that affect us. However, this proverb gives us different insight. When I was a child I remember playing outside in the rain. When water would run down the driveway I would drag my foot and make a channel for the water. The water had a mind of its own, but I would direct it where I wanted the “mind” to take it. The water did what water does. But the dragging of my heal and the subsequent channel took control. That is how God directs leadership. They may be “doing what they do” but it is God who creates the channels they run through and operate in. We don’t need to fear the decision the boss may make, or a law a politician creates, or the direction the leader will go! For, we know Who is digging the channels they all run through.  Perhaps one of the best examples of this is the punishment, by God on the nation of Israel, for their disobedience.   God brought the nation of Babylon into their lives to use this wicked nation to punish them.  The prophecy is that the punishment would last 70 years (Daniel 9).   EXACTLY 70 years later, with Israel still in captivity and Babylon long gone, Cyrus King of Persia has a sudden change of heart and is moved to let some of the captives go to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. 

Ezra 1:1-4 (ESV Strong's)

1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: 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 at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. (See verses 3 and 4, as well). 

God moved Cyrus like a dug channel makes highway for running water.   God did that.  He does that all the time.  To fulfill His plan, God digs the channels and uses the nature of man to follow that channel to accomplish that purpose.   The kings hand is in the hand of the Lord and He moves it wherever He wants.