In the LORD's hand the king's heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him. – Proverbs 21:1

Today's Scripture Reading (November 18, 2022): Proverbs 21

Lake Mead exists on the border of Nevada and Arizona. It is an artificial body of water created by the Hoover Dam that supplies water to Nevada, Arizona, as well as parts of California and even Mexico. But Lake Mead has existed well below its full capacity because of drought conditions since 1983. Today, the lake has plunged to its lowest levels since its creation in 1935. The lake has reached a point where the available water for those who depend on the lake for their water needs must be reduced. As a result, Lake Mead is displaying its treasures and nightmares for the first time in over eighty years. Murder victims keep showing up in the declining area of the lake, as do towns that were flooded by Lake Mead's creation.

But the reality is, as Lake Mead continues to shrink, that the lake wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for human intervention. Because humans built the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, humans changed the area's topography. And a mighty river became a lake. Mead isn't the only artificial lake in the world. We build lakes for various reasons by interrupting or changing the flow of rivers in multiple environments and have for centuries. It isn't even just a human activity. Beavers are known for building dams that have changed the water flow and successfully creating an environment where these semiaquatic rodents can thrive.

Solomon says that the king's heart is a stream of water that God channels toward all who please him. It is not that God doesn't do that with all of us, but the fact that he can do that with the most powerful and autocratic of people means that there is no limit to his ability in this area. God creates environments that benefit those who trust in him. The list of biblical examples of this Proverb is long. Egypt's Pharoah, possibly Apopis (1585-1542 B.C.E.), changed the course of the world when he was guided to make Joseph his Prime Minister. Saul altered the path of Israel by bringing a young man named David into his house. Nebuchadnezzar was a change agent because he took Israel into exile and gave God's people a chance to reset, and Cyrus changed the history of Israel by sending them back home. But none of these kings did these things based on their own initiative. God held their hearts in his hands and guided them to where he wanted them to go for the benefit of not just Israel, but the world

We have a choice of being people who are seeking God and want to play a part in what he is accomplishing in our world, or whether we want to fight his actions. But either way, God's plan will be achieved. And he holds our hearts in his hand.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 22