Proverbs 21, verse 1. The king's heart is in the hand
of the Lord as the rivers of water. He turneth it whethersoever
he will. That verse of Scripture bears
a whole lot of meditation, and gives a lot of comfort and
strength to my heart. Let me read it again. The king's
heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water. He turneth
it whether so ever he will. I think often about this verse
of scripture and our subject from it this
morning is God sovereign over all. It is offensive to sinful nature. Everybody's sinful nature is
offensive that God is in control of everything. He does not need
my approval for anything. That's offensive to people. But
the truth is When he needs my attention, he gets it. When he needs my cooperation,
he gets it. Whatever God wants, he gets it. The greatest religious lie I
know of in the past 50 years is that we have a God whose will
is subject to our will. He can if we. He wants to if we. But apart from we, he's paralyzed. That is the deceived mindset
of almost everybody you come in contact with every single
day you live. There is a God, but God is able, but... Well, that
is not my God. And I want you to understand
that this morning. People say, well, you have different beliefs.
No, I have a different God. My God's not struggling. My God moves in effectual power. When He wills, where He wills,
with whom He wills and does exactly as He wills. He is answerable
to none. Now most people believe, and
I'm not meaning to be critical, but most people believe God has
no will, only wishes and wants. In other words, what He wishes
to be so, but without our approval it never will be so. They don't
understand that God's greatest work is not in moving the mountain,
but in changing a sinful heart to be willing to embrace the
task and start moving the mountain. And that's what this verse is
saying. The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. Now, we're
living at a time in the history of our country when many hearts
are fearful, and rightfully so, as to what the future holds. When those in places of authority,
many government officials, not only don't love God, they don't
love our country. or anything we stand for. They
love themselves. They are nothing but foxes we've
elected to guard the hen house. Anybody with good sense don't
elect foxes to guard the hen house. And it's such a sad thing. I don't talk about it too much.
I try not to think about it too much. If you dwell on it too
much, it will depress you greatly. I promise you that. if you're
an American. But we have this verse of scripture
that changes everything for us. What does it say? The king's
heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water. He, God, turneth it, the king's
heart, whether so ever he will. Everyone knows that water runs
downhill. A little bit of kids know water
runs downhill. And this verse is a reference
to the ancient process of irrigation, watering the crops. In olden
times, without any electric pumps to move water or gasoline pumps
to pump water, out of the river with big sprayers to spray the
water, they had to cooperate with the law of gravity. Suppose you need to water a field
a quarter mile away from the stream, but there's only a few
feet of elevation between the field and the stream. You've
only got a few feet to work with. The water has to be channeled
through troughs with just the slightest bit of decline. It must run downhill all the
way or it will never get there. I have read about some of the
designs and irrigation systems of old that were absolutely mind-boggling. They didn't have computers. But
they did have something up here, see? No power equipment, just
the law of gravity. And a man would turn the water and channel the water to where
he willed it to flow to water his crops. Well, this verse likens
the king's heart to the rivers of water. In other words, it
can be turned. It can be channeled, it can be
moved. Now, left alone, all the water can do is take the path
of least resistance. It's not going to leave the riverbed.
We see that in these mountain streams all around here. The
path of least resistance. They don't run straight, that's
for sure. And they don't run uphill. In other words, if the water
is right here, whichever is the steepest, most declining point,
that's the way it's going. Downhill. Downhill. So the hearts of men are subject,
so to speak, to the law of gravity. With a sinful nature, which we
all have, No one does right by our own choice. Water runs downhill, not uphill. The undisturbed sinful heart
will always run the path of least resistance. It will run into
immorality, not morality. It will run into self-sufficiency,
not dependence on God. It will run into works salvation,
to be able to praise self, not salvation by grace, to be able
to praise God. That's what comes natural. These
kids growing up, they don't have to work at hanging out with the
wrong crowd. That will come natural. What
they have to work at is getting with the right crowd. See? Natural
goes the wrong way every time. This is true of everyone from
the White House on down. And I would say unless God intervenes, President Obama is doing all
he can do. Water runs downhill. It's not in the President's power
to change his own heart and restore this nation to the godly principles
we once knew. It is God Almighty leaving water
to run downhill, leaving sinful nature to take the path of least
resistance. That's what's rushing this country
toward judgment, which is so greatly deserved. I mean, how can a country which
refuses to honor God turn around and ask God to honor us? How can America, who won't bless
God, sing, God bless America? Well, I sing it, but I sing it
like this. God bless America with conviction. God bless America with repentance. God bless America to remember
who God is. God bless America with a spiritual
awakening. That's the only hope for us.
That's all. You say, well, I don't think
it's possible. Good, that's a good sign. God majors in the impossible. He may kick this generation into
hell before he does it, but he can do it anytime he wills. The King's heart is in the hand
of the Lord. God can put a Spurgeon, a Whitfield,
a Jonathan Edwards in the White House anytime he wills. We forget, as God's people, we
are pilgrims and strangers in this world. 1 Peter 2.11. We
are the foreigners in this world. Our citizenship is in heaven.
We're not from around here. And we're not supposed to listen
to every jack-lag on every corner about everything. I'm telling you this morning,
the government, the media, and Hollywood will make an absolute
fruitcake out of you. And today's religious world will
put the icing on the fruitcake. And you don't put icing on a
fruitcake. It's fruity enough. It's nutty enough. Most of the good, conservative,
religious folks in this part of the country that I know and
that you know will tell you that what you think of God will determine
what God thinks of you. Your will determines His will. That is straight out of the pit,
my friend. The truth is what God thinks
of you will determine what you think of Him. That puts a whole different light
on things, doesn't it? If your heart this morning is
full of rebellion against God and the Word of God and the commands
of God, And in rebellion against all authority, anybody and everybody
that crosses you. I want you to understand this
morning, it's not that you've left God out. It's that He's
left you out. I'm not part of this little sissified
religious mess that's got God wringing His hands wishing things
was different. Oh no, things are running right
on schedule. He has His way. He's working
His will. If you can go that path of least
resistance with no repentance, no conviction about anything,
that path down, down, down, down until you're in hell, it's because
God Almighty has not, of His own initiative, changed your
heart. And He's just. He's just in it. If He puts you in hell, that's
what you deserve. Of course, for those of us, He's
not going to put in hell. We still deserve it in ourselves. But we're in Christ. Sad, sad the thought that He leave you to yourself.
We had one eye and a half sense. We'd all pray every day that
dawns, Oh God, don't leave me to myself. Downhill is the only way I can
go. Downhill is the only direction
water runs. Years ago when June and I were
young, still had a little energy. We went over to Ghost Town over
here at Maggie Valley. Many of you have been there,
I'm sure. A resetting of an old western town on top of a steep
mountain over there and little shops and a main street with
saloons and gunfights in the street. One of the little attractions
off the main street was a little trail and you'd go a few feet
down it on the very steep side of the mountain and there was
a little shack and it was built upright on the
outside but when you stepped in the walls were built this
way and the floor was built this way And you had to lean way over
to stand up straight. Any of you ever do that? Any
of you ever go to that? Okay. Sorry, I'm the only one that's
been anywhere. And in that little shack, would you
all turn like this to stand straight? Here was a water faucet and it
had a little trough built and the water running in that trough
and it was running uphill. Now you'd stand and look at it
with your own eyes, and the water was running uphill. But it was an illusion. I think
that's the right word. An illusion. It wasn't really
running uphill. And that's what humanistic religion
has convinced folks of today. Water runs uphill. God is not really in control
of your destiny. You are. His will is only done if you
choose to let Him do it. That's a lie. You really better be careful
how much of that garbage you listen to and how much you hobnob
with those who lead God around on a string to do their bidding
all the time and use Him as they please. They're deceived. They
are deceived. If God leaves you alone, you'll
come to believe that mess and be damned. There's so much of it. If God leaves you alone, but
oh God don't leave us alone. The truth is either God governs
or He is governed. Either God rules or He is ruled. Either God has His way or men
have theirs. What does the Bible say about
it? What does God's Word say about it? Let me quickly give
you 12 scriptures. I'm going to give you these.
You won't have time to turn to them all, but you can jot them
down if you'd like. Number one is our text here,
Proverbs 21.1. The king's heart is in the hand
of the Lord. He has the rivers of water, he
turneth it, whether so ever he will. Now, all this is in the
Bible. I'm not reading to you out of
the newspaper or what Dr. Bottlestopper said or anything
like that. This is God's Word. Number two, Proverbs 16.1, the
preparations of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue
is from the Lord. You say, I'll do as I please.
Since when? Number three, Proverbs 19.21,
there are many devices in a man's heart. Nevertheless,
the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. We may have our
plans all worked out, how we're going to make happen what we
want to happen, many devices, tricks, angles, intentions. Nevertheless, in spite of all
we do and devise, the counsel, the decree, the will of the Lord,
that shall stand. His will is done. Somebody said,
oh, just let the Lord have his way. He does. He does. I'm just praying God's will to
be done. It will. Number four, Job 23, 13, but
he is of one mind and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth,
even that he doeth." Not wishes he could do, but even
that he doeth. Number five, Psalm 3311, the
counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his
heart to all generations. Number six, Proverbs 2130, there
is no wisdom nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord. Number 7, Isaiah 1427, For the
Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And
his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? Number 8, Isaiah 46, 9-11, Remember
the former things of old, for I am God, and there is none else. I am God and there is none like
me declaring the end from the beginning. Well, I am worried
about how this thing is going to turn out. God is not. He declared
the end from the beginning. Declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times the things that are not yet done. Saying,
my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure, not some
of it, all my pleasure, calling a ravenous bird from the east,
the man that executeth my counsel from a far country. Yea, I have
spoken it. I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it. I will also do it. Number nine,
Proverbs 16, nine, a man's heart deviseth his way, but the Lord
directed his steps. Daniel 4.35, and all the inhabitants
of the earth, that's number 10. All the inhabitants of the earth
are reputed as nothing, Daniel 4.35. And he doeth according
to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of
the earth. And none can stay his hand or say unto him, what
doest thou? Number 11, Psalm 115, verse 3. But our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. Number 12, Ephesians 111, in
whom also we have an inheritance, being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will. I've just given you 12 scriptures
which say God is God. God works His will with everybody
all the time. I know a lot of people don't
believe those 12 scriptures. They just as well not be in the
Bible. But they are. And many more. God works His will even in the
hearts of the unregenerate, unbelieving and reprobate children of Adam. For example, Romans chapter 9. Turn with me to Romans 9. Romans chapter 9. In this chapter,
a forbidden chapter, that preachers have actually told their congregation
it's off limits. Don't go there. Not Romans 9. God says the children of Abraham
after the flesh are not the children of God. So much for national Israel.
The children of Abraham after the flesh are not the children
of God. Now Romans 9.11 says God's choices
are made before children are even born,
neither having done any good or evil. That's right. I've had a lot of people tell
me, well, I just can't believe that. And they're right. It's
God's Word and they can't believe it. And neither can you and I by
nature. Water runs downhill. Unless God has done that irrigation
work and channeled your heart another way toward Him and imputed
saving faith to believe God, you won't believe it either. But it's in here. Verse 13 says,
Jacob have I loved, But Esau have I hated. You say, but that
don't mean what it says. Why don't you holler down to
hell and ask Esau what it means? He knows. Also in this ninth chapter of
Romans, we read about Pharaoh. Now, you mentioned Pharaoh, and
most people think, well, now that's the fellow that gave God
a hard time. No, he never gave God a hard
time. He did exactly what God raised
him up to do. He did what he was born to do. Verse 15, here in Romans 9, For
he, the Lord, saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Now in that verse, Romans 9,
15, we read the phrase, I will, four times. It appears to me
that God's emphasizing His will. I will, I will, I will, I will,
four times. Well, what of man's will? Look
at the next verse, 16. So then, if God's going to have
His will, what about man's will? So then, Here's what it is, so
then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but
of God that showeth mercy. It is not man's will that gets
God's approval. It's not of him that willeth.
It's not man's performance that gets God's approval. nor of him
that runneth. What is it then? But of God that
showeth mercy. That's what it is. For the Scripture
saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised
thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name
might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath
he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. God is absolutely just in doing
so. And he says to Pharaoh here,
even for this same purpose, have I raised thee up. God used the
cruelty of Pharaoh, which came naturally, to make his people
discontented in Egypt. You see, as long as life was
comfortable in Egypt, the Israelites never would have wanted to leave.
And I've been in a lot of places in my life. If God hadn't have
made it uncomfortable, I'd still be there. Huh? Don't go beating yourself over
the head for all this. I mean, ignorant as we are and
as many foolish mistakes as we've made, God is running this thing. Not you. Not me. So God hardened Pharaoh's heart
to make life extremely hard for the Israelites. And in God's
time, He moved them to start crying to Him. And in God's time,
He moved Pharaoh's heart to let them go. And then He hardened
his heart to pursue after them. And it was in that pursuit, after
the very purpose for Pharaoh's existence was accomplished. God
drowned him and his army in the Red Sea. And God has done that
through every politician, every king, and every president in
the history of the world. I'm telling you, God is working
his will. We just got a warped up conception
of who God is. That's our trouble. The Democrats
don't know how to save this nation. The Republicans don't know how
to save this nation. God is saving this nation as
long as he wants to save it. And then it's history. That's
the story. And this principle runs all the
way through God's Word. It runs all the way through history.
It runs all the way through the very minute details of your life
and mine. God's that big. He's that big. The boss man don't save your
job. God does. The banker don't save your money.
God does. The doctor don't save your life.
God does. The lawyer don't save your hide,
God does. You don't make that heartbeat,
God does. Give God credit for being who
He is. He's big enough to work His will
in all humanity. God has the right, unless you're confused about
this, listen carefully, God has the right with all Adam's race
being fallen. God has the right with all Adam's
race being guilty. God has the right with all Adam's
race being unworthy. God has the right with all Adam's
race deserving hell. God has the right and the ability
to rescue out of Adam's race exactly whom he will. And he did that, by the way,
before he created the world, choosing his people in Christ. They used to sing that old song,
I never shall forget the day the blessed Savior wrote my name. No, I'd never been heard of in
this world when he wrote my name. This world didn't exist when
he wrote my name. Read the book, Revelation 13.8.
Our names were written in the Lamb's book of life from the
foundation of the world. God never got in the game when
we were on second base. No. God never stepped into history.
to deal with the dilemma we were in. No. He never stepped into
history to decree salvation. He decreed salvation before there
was any history. And He shaped history around
Him. God then, having chosen us in
eternity, in His Son, in due time, was made flesh and came
into this world to live perfectly, to live without sin, to die on
the cross for a specific purpose in the stead of those whom he
had chosen from eternity. The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus
Christ was not a prospecting venture on God's part. Not at
all. It was a definite purchase A
definite price paid for the redemption of a definite
people. It wasn't that he died hoping
somebody would believe on him. Oh no. Oh no. God the Father
purposed it. Christ our Lord paid it. And the blessed Holy Spirit is
pursuing and drawing God's people to Him to believe. to believe
and he's doing a good job. He's doing a good job. Well, I think our time is gone,
but I'm just pretty much enjoying this. You say, well, what if I don't
qualify for what God wants me to be? You can forget the if
you don't qualify. But his son does. And all God does for us is for
His Son's sake. He's the worthy one. God works
His will in Christ always. The bottom line this morning
is if you don't love Him better than anything or anyone
in this world, you are to be pitied. Not God. You haven't left Him out. He's
left you out. I can't change your heart. You
can't change your heart. Only God can change your heart. And oh, that He would change
us all. The songwriter said, oh, for
grace to love Him more. Would to God we could see. Would
to God I could see. that all the disruptions in our
lives are not without purpose and they're not outside God's
design. Many things come to us that we
don't think are necessary. Many things unpleasant. Many
things painful. Many things heartbreaking. But who among us would deny that
a heart as hard as mine needs breaking? See, Romans 8.28, we know that all
things work together for good. Not everybody's good, but for
good to them that love God. And who are they? Them who are
the called according to His purpose. What is the good He refers to?
to be rich and famous, powerful and comfortable in this life?
No. No. Here it is. For whom He foreknew,
He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His
Son. That's the prize to be like Christ. God's providential working, whatever
it be, however uncomfortable, however undesirable, however
painful, to understand that all God's providential workings will
consummate in all His elect children being just like His Son. That's
the prize. That's the prize. You can have
the mansions. You can have the crowns. You
can have the streets of gold. But to be with Christ and to
be like Christ forever is what I want. To understand and to know that
God Almighty has a very valuable purpose for everything that comes
our way in life and to be able to rest in that is a blessed
thing. We don't rest in our ability
to cope. Sometimes we can't cope. We don't rest in our religious
front and pretend that everything's all right. Sometimes things are
not all right. We rest in our sovereign God,
His wisdom, His providence, His rule. in all things. And we survive. Here's how I
survive. By the operation of faith and
grace working in my heart. That's the only way you'll survive. To rest in Christ is to trust
Him with everything. To trust Him is to believe His
Word. Believe it. Believe it. That's to live. And to believe
His Word is to obey His Word. Not perfectly. Christ did that
for us. But consistently. They used to sing an old song
when I was young. Boy, I'm running wild this morning. They used
to sing an old song when I was young. Take a moment and live. It's page 56 in this old red
book, by the way. Give God just a split second,
make that decision, and then go on about your business. Take
a moment and live. Not a lick of sense to it, not
a lick of truth to it. You don't take a moment and live.
You live because Christ has given you life. No other reason and
no other way. John 5.21, the Son quickeneth
whom he will. To live, to breathe, to hear,
to obey. And I'd say to us all this morning,
especially you young folks, school children, If you truly knew the
value of having a desire in your heart
to live your life for God, to shun evil, to forfeit the pleasures
of this world, to follow Christ at any cost, what joy it would
bring to your heart all your days. And if you don't have that desire,
you don't know the value of it, young or old. Don't bring your goodness to
God. You don't have enough of it. I'm talking to all of you
now. Don't bring your goodness to
God. You ain't got enough to speak of. Bring your badness to God. Tell him how awful you are. How
ashamed you are. How wretched you are. How unworthy
you are. And plead with him for mercy. If your heart is ever changed,
it'll be him that changes it. Because water runs downhill. He's not at your mercy. You're
at his. We're talking about God, sovereign over all. Again, I say with the songwriter,
oh, for grace to levy more.