The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
The king’s heart and decisions are in the Lord’s hand to turn wherever He wills as rivers of water are directed, and all kings and nations belong to Him to set their limits and direct their actions for His purpose. He moved Cyrus to free the captives and provide for the temple, raised Esther to the throne and turned Xerxes toward her for the good of Israel, and answered Nehemiah’s silent prayer by awakening sympathy in Artaxerxes to grant help for Jerusalem. He overrules the designs and hostility of wicked men, enemies of the church, and statesmen against His people, moving upon rulers and turning aside wrath like streams of water, even when Satan influences them and harmful laws are proposed. He works for His people in their greatest extremity when ruin seems unavoidable, and prayer in faith moves His almighty arm to restrain opposition and the forces of darkness until the warning message has been given and all who will heed it are prepared. He can direct every human heart and thought as surely as He turns the waters, so no sinner however hardened is beyond His grace to bring to Christ, and He can move rulers to grant favors that advance His cause, though His servants are not to depend on worldly leaders for strength and success.
God Holds Rulers' Hearts
The heart of every king, with all its decisions, rests in the Lord's hand, and He turns it wherever He wills as rivers of water are turned and directed. This rule extends to earthly rulers and statesmen alike, whose hearts and plans remain under His power to direct in whatever direction He chooses. All kings and nations belong to the Lord, who sets limits on what rulers can do and directs their actions to serve His purpose. Even when rulers do not acknowledge His wisdom and continue in wrong practices, He can restrain and guide human minds to accomplish His purposes. When Satan influences rulers, He still works through His agents among them and through good angels moving them to oppose harmful proposals, so that His work continues. He guided Cyrus to carry out His purpose by moving him to free the captives and provide for the rebuilding of Jerusalem's temple. Events shaped by the king's own conduct led to Esther's rise to the Medo-Persian throne and worked for the good of Israel. Esther and Mordecai knew their own efforts could not save their people unless God worked powerfully, so as she approached King Xerxes, Esther sought communion with God and relied on Him to turn the king's heart. Nehemiah's silent prayer to the God of heaven before answering Artaxerxes laid hold of that ruling power, awakening the monarch's sympathy without prejudice so that Nehemiah could present his sacred trust for Jerusalem in a way that won approval and enlisted royal help.
Overruling Hostile Powers
The designs, plans and hostility of wicked men, enemies of the church, statesmen and all who oppose God's people are subject to God's power and overruling providence. The hearts and decisions of rulers are under the Lord's power, and He can turn them in whatever direction He chooses, as water is redirected. He can move upon the hearts of statesmen, overrule hostile designs, restrain opposition, and turn aside the wrath of the turbulent and disaffected who hate God, His truth and His people, redirecting it like streams of water when He orders it so.
He always works for His people in their greatest extremity when there seems least hope that ruin can be averted. The same infinite Creator who marshals the stars in order in the heavens and whose word controls the waves of the great deep will work in their behalf if they call upon Him in faith. Even when Satan influences rulers and laws are proposed to obstruct His work, He has agents among the rulers and works through them, and good angels move them to oppose harmful proposals, so the work continues.
Prayer in faith appeals to this power and moves the arm of Omnipotence. This gives reason to pray for God to act on behalf of His people, to overrule hostility and to restrain the forces of darkness until the warning message has been given to the world and all who will heed it are prepared for the conflict. When Jesus leaves the most holy place, God's restraining Spirit will be withdrawn from rulers and people, leaving them to evil angels and to Satan-directed laws so harmful that, unless the time is shortened, no one would survive.
Turning Every Human Heart
God directs human hearts and thoughts according to His will as surely as He turns the waters. No sinner, however selfish or hardened by sin, is beyond His grace and power to bring to surrender to Christ. One who appears hopeless may yet accept the truth and love it, so gospel workers need not become discouraged.
Earnest, fervent prayer can receive God's power for this work. In answer to prayer He turns people's thoughts and hearts. Fervent prayer moves Him to turn human hearts toward the work of helping others and bringing souls to Him.
The Lord directs the hearts of kings and rulers and of people in positions of responsibility to act in favor of His people and cause. He inclines them to grant favors to His commandment-keeping people, and their decisions and favors can be used to advance His work. Those concerned with religious liberty should therefore not reject help that He moves such leaders to provide. Yet His servants are not to depend on worldly leaders for strength, influence, or success, for seeking recognition from them instead of relying on God brings weakness.
The king’s heart and decisions are in the Lord’s hand to turn wherever He wills as rivers of water are directed, and all kings and nations belong to Him to set their limits and direct their actions for His purpose.
He moved Cyrus to free the captives and provide for the temple, raised Esther to the throne and turned Xerxes toward her for the good of Israel, and answered Nehemiah’s silent prayer by awakening sympathy in Artaxerxes to grant help for Jerusalem.
He overrules the designs and hostility of wicked men, enemies of the church, and statesmen against His people, moving upon rulers and turning aside wrath like streams of water, even when Satan influences them and harmful laws are proposed.
He works for His people in their greatest extremity when ruin seems unavoidable, and prayer in faith moves His almighty arm to restrain opposition and the forces of darkness until the warning message has been given and all who will heed it are prepared.
He can direct every human heart and thought as surely as He turns the waters, so no sinner however hardened is beyond His grace to bring to Christ, and He can move rulers to grant favors that advance His cause, though His servants are not to depend on worldly leaders for strength and success.
God Holds Rulers' Hearts
The heart of every king, with all its decisions, rests in the Lord's hand, and He turns it wherever He wills as rivers of water are turned and directed. This rule extends to earthly rulers and statesmen alike, whose hearts and plans remain under His power to direct in whatever direction He chooses.
All kings and nations belong to the Lord, who sets limits on what rulers can do and directs their actions to serve His purpose. Even when rulers do not acknowledge His wisdom and continue in wrong practices, He can restrain and guide human minds to accomplish His purposes. When Satan influences rulers, He still works through His agents among them and through good angels moving them to oppose harmful proposals, so that His work continues.
He guided Cyrus to carry out His purpose by moving him to free the captives and provide for the rebuilding of Jerusalem's temple. Events shaped by the king's own conduct led to Esther's rise to the Medo-Persian throne and worked for the good of Israel. Esther and Mordecai knew their own efforts could not save their people unless God worked powerfully, so as she approached King Xerxes, Esther sought communion with God and relied on Him to turn the king's heart. Nehemiah's silent prayer to the God of heaven before answering Artaxerxes laid hold of that ruling power, awakening the monarch's sympathy without prejudice so that Nehemiah could present his sacred trust for Jerusalem in a way that won approval and enlisted royal help.
Overruling Hostile Powers
The designs, plans and hostility of wicked men, enemies of the church, statesmen and all who oppose God's people are subject to God's power and overruling providence. The hearts and decisions of rulers are under the Lord's power, and He can turn them in whatever direction He chooses, as water is redirected. He can move upon the hearts of statesmen, overrule hostile designs, restrain opposition, and turn aside the wrath of the turbulent and disaffected who hate God, His truth and His people, redirecting it like streams of water when He orders it so.
He always works for His people in their greatest extremity when there seems least hope that ruin can be averted. The same infinite Creator who marshals the stars in order in the heavens and whose word controls the waves of the great deep will work in their behalf if they call upon Him in faith. Even when Satan influences rulers and laws are proposed to obstruct His work, He has agents among the rulers and works through them, and good angels move them to oppose harmful proposals, so the work continues.
Prayer in faith appeals to this power and moves the arm of Omnipotence. This gives reason to pray for God to act on behalf of His people, to overrule hostility and to restrain the forces of darkness until the warning message has been given to the world and all who will heed it are prepared for the conflict. When Jesus leaves the most holy place, God's restraining Spirit will be withdrawn from rulers and people, leaving them to evil angels and to Satan-directed laws so harmful that, unless the time is shortened, no one would survive.
Turning Every Human Heart
God directs human hearts and thoughts according to His will as surely as He turns the waters. No sinner, however selfish or hardened by sin, is beyond His grace and power to bring to surrender to Christ. One who appears hopeless may yet accept the truth and love it, so gospel workers need not become discouraged.
Earnest, fervent prayer can receive God's power for this work. In answer to prayer He turns people's thoughts and hearts. Fervent prayer moves Him to turn human hearts toward the work of helping others and bringing souls to Him.
The Lord directs the hearts of kings and rulers and of people in positions of responsibility to act in favor of His people and cause. He inclines them to grant favors to His commandment-keeping people, and their decisions and favors can be used to advance His work. Those concerned with religious liberty should therefore not reject help that He moves such leaders to provide. Yet His servants are not to depend on worldly leaders for strength, influence, or success, for seeking recognition from them instead of relying on God brings weakness.