Choices (Proverbs 22:5)

The way of the righteous is a peaceful path, but the way of the perverse is full of pain.

"Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate and willful; he who guards himself will be far from them." Proverbs 22:5, Amplified

Guarding oneself means that he or she keeps him or herself from evil choices. There is pain and hurt in the lives of the righteous and evil alike, however, the pain is different when the sojourner is obstinate and willful against the will of the Lord. That pain comes from bad choices and is meant to destroy. The pain that the Lord allows in our lives is meant to strengthen us. Thorns and snares are devices of torture, but the fire of the Lord tempers the heart.

The Choices We Make (Proverbs 21:1)

The Lord is in control of everything. No matter what the situation or the circumstances, the Lord knows what is happening and how to control the situation and its outcome.

"The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord as are the watercourses; He turns it whichever way He will." Proverbs 21:1, Amplified

The one reason why the Proverbs focus so much on "kings" in general is that the Lord wants His children to know and to understand that no matter what the status is of a person, He is still God, He is still in control.

The verse is not trying to say that the Lord moves a man despite his own "free will". The Bible tells us, "Let every soul be subject tot he governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God." (Romans 13:1, NKJV) No king that is, or was, or will be ever surprises God. He has appointed everyone to his position. This includes our current president.

Will God "control" man? No, for this would be a violation of man's free will. The verse never states that the Lord will control the king, rather He turns the heart of the king. It is more like a bend in a river, the river's natural inclination is now to go the direction of the bend and not the other direction or even straight. The paths of man can be viewed the same way. When there is a bend in our path, or even a Rock, our natural inclination is to follow the direction of the path. Go knows exactly what will happen in any given situation. The choices that our president is making today, the Lord knows that he was going to make them. He knows the outcome of Obamah, if he will enjoy another term and the state of our country. Believe it or not, the heart of Obamah is in the hands of the Almighty Jehovah, not Allah. Obamah is going the same direction the Lord intends.