The European royal houses formerly had absolute power in their... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; he turns it wherever he wishes.
Proverbs 21:1.

The European royal houses formerly had absolute power in their lands. They claimed to have been appointed "by God's grace". Today monarchs have merely a representative function as a rule; the real power lies in parliaments and governments.

Kings of past ages and heads of governments today think and plan. And God has given them, as He has to all, the possibility to make morally justifiable decisions.

For all their decisions and actions they will one day have to answer before God. This does not mean that God has renounced His authority over the earth. God does indeed occasionally intervene in world events, primarily in order to steer the hearts and the legislation of those in government secretly in a pre-determined direction.

We find an example of this in the book of Esther in the Old Testament. Haman, a minister of state, had urged King Ahasuerus to pass a cruelly wicked law. On a certain day all the Jews were to be killed. Haman also had a personal grudge against the Jew Mordecai. He was to be eliminated earlier. But in the night before Haman took action the king could not sleep (Esther 6:1). He asked for the chronicles of his kingdom and, reading them, came across an assassination attempt on his life thwarted by none other than Mordecai, who was to be honoured. The conspiracy against the Jews failed through that sleepless night. Haman had planned, the king had assented, but God had overruled.

On another occasion "the LORD turned the heart of the king toward them" (Ezra 6:22).

God truly has the reins in His hand!

Today's reading: Daniel 9:1-14 · Acts 3:1-11