Proverbs 21:1-3 (ESV)
1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
3 To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
Just as a farmer directs water by digging trenches, so the Lord guides the affairs of men. The king is the most powerful of all, believing he can do whatever he wants, and yet God is in control of the king’s wishes. The Lord uses the king to provide for his people. One may believe her motives are right, but God sees everything. Though it is proper to give to God what he is due, the Lord prefers internal obedience to external service. God expects our visible display of devotion to mirror our inward commitment to him. No matter how free we may feel, we must humbly acknowledge that everything we have comes from God. Even if your longings are good and right, you owe that to the Lord. Pray that God would make your desires consistent with his today. He can, and he will do so for those who ask.