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Horses and Hopes
The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord. (Proverbs 21:31)
Until a century ago, horses played a central role in ground warfare. Throughout most of history, battles weren’t fought with tanks and drones but with horses and chariots, and common sense told any king that if he wanted to win battles, he needed a strong cavalry. But common sense falls short of biblical wisdom. According to Proverbs 21:31, a king who wants to win must acknowledge that he’s not in control of the outcome—the Lord is.
The principle of this proverb applies far beyond the realm of kings preparing for battle. For example, you can follow “doctor’s orders” but can’t ensure healing. You can study hard for tests but may not get good grades. You can employ proven principles of leadership but can’t guarantee that your business will achieve your goals or that your board’s vote will go your way. Outcomes are in God’s hands. It’s true in the realms of health, school, and business, as we’ve seen. It’s also true of evangelism, parenting, elections, lawsuits, travel planning, church planting, and so on. You work all the time for desirable outcomes, but you can’t control what actually happens.
How should Proverbs 21:31 shape your day-to-day life? Christian, here are a few recommendations for wise living in a world where God is absolutely sovereign.
First, be diligent before God in your areas of responsibility.
This proverb doesn’t encourage kings to cease battle preparations and just wing it, saying, “Que será, será.” No! If you’re a national leader, prepare your military. If you’re a pastor, “discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:1–5 NIV). If you’re a Spirit-filled dad, diligently obey Ephesians 6:4. Even though you can’t control outcomes, your faithfulness pleases and glorifies the Lord (which is your life’s central mission).
Second, explicitly acknowledge before God that you’re not in control of outcomes.
As you pray to God for your desired outcomes, tell yourself over and over the truths of His Word—that the battle is not necessarily won by the strongest army, that your “chariots and horses” aren’t what you’re relying on, and that the Lord alone is sovereign and worthy of your fear (Ecclesiastes 9:11; Psalm 20:7; 33:16–19; Isaiah 31:1–3).
Third, repeatedly submit your desired outcomes to the sovereign will of God.
Take all your desires to God in prayer. But begin your prayers with, “If the Lord wills…” (James 4:15). End them with, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). Whether you want God to provide you with a spouse, to grow your business, or to heal your child, bookend your requests with submission to God’s sovereign plan.
Fourth, trust and praise God in full view of every outcome He ordains.
When God blesses you with a harvest, honor Him (Proverbs 3:9–10; Deuteronomy 26:1–11; Psalm 65). And when “the fields yield no food,” still determine that you will “rejoice in the LORD” (Habakkuk 3:17–18). Echo the words of righteous Job, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).
Realizing that you aren’t in control should lead to freedom, not fear. You don’t have to control everything. Live by faith, humbly trusting that every future outcome rests in the hands of God—the God who gave His one and only Son for you and has promised you ultimate victory over sin, Satan, and death. Such outcomes are certain because they, like all others, are not in your control. “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:10).
Let the gospel lead you to sing every day: “Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, O Ruler of all.”
This post by Joe Tyrpak comes from Gospel Mediations on Proverbs (Day 21).
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Gospel Meditations on Proverbs
Proverbs, rightly understood, abounds with gospel truth. It details what it means to be born again, and what the life of those who have been born again looks like. It’s not merely a self-help book or an anthology of good advice. It’s ingenious. It deals with the soul’s connection to God and with the wise, skillful living that results.
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