In Proverbs 21:1 we are reminded that the king’s word was law, His authority over his realm was unconditional and unrestrained, yet we are reminded that God controls the king’s heart, and he will not do anything that the Lord does not allow. Here we are reminded that God intervenes in the hearts of people so that they make decisions and carry out actions that accomplish God’s purpose for our lives. This is done in such a way that these people make their decisions and carry out their plans by their own free and voluntary choices (cf. book of Habakkuk). We must understand that if God is not sovereign in the decisions and actions of other people as they affect us, then there is a whole major area of our lives where we cannot trust God. What does this mean for us? It means that God uses the decisions and actions of people to accomplish His purposes and that in doing so He has a plan and purpose not only for our lives but the lives of those making decisions that affect us. We must remember that God is moving history toward the coming of Christ’s kingdom (Revelation 20:4-6), and ultimately the new heaven and new earth outlined in Revelation 21-22. All the decisions of all the governments in all the world are being made today toward that end in sight. As believers we can rejoice with the Lord that the afflictions that we experience has a purpose in the plan of God. God directs the hearts of leaders to move toward the culmination of salvation history, we can rest in that plan.