Parallel Verses
King James Version
The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.
Holman Bible
A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from the Lord.
Amplified
The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance and victory are of the Lord.
Darby Translation
The horse is prepared for the day of battle; but safety is of Jehovah.
Jubilee 2000 Bible
The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but salvation is of the LORD.
King James 2000
The horse is prepared for the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.
NET Bible
A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory is from the Lord.
The Emphasized Bible
The horse, is prepared for the day of battle, but, to Yahweh, pertaineth the victory.
Webster
The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is from the LORD.
bible.knowing-jesus.com
The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.
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Do you lock your doors at night? Do you have a security system? Do you have protection in your nightstand? Have you registered your phone number and address with the police? Are you a light sleeper? Your safety is still dependent on the LORD. For if He does not protect you, there are no means you can take to truly preserve your safety and security.
Do you know how to trust the LORD for safety? Read on, and cast yourself on the LORD. He will deliver those who put their trust in Him, even if they approach a mighty giant with only a sling and a smooth stone, even if an army were to encircle them. Learn to balance human means and the LORD’s help on the side of faith. Learn wisdom today.
The previous proverb taught there is no success against God (Pr 21:30); this one teaches there is no success without God. Give the LORD the glory, and put all your trust in Him. He can and will deliver you from every conceivable danger or enemy, whether in the day or the night, whether it is a threat you can see or not. Read Psalm 91 and take courage.
David wrote in another place, “Except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep” (Ps 127:1-2). Excessive or extreme efforts to protect yourself are vain. Trust the LORD, and go to sleep. How did David go to sleep? “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety” (Ps 4:8).
The LORD expects you to use reasonable means to protect yourself, but He will do the rest. If you go beyond reasonable means, then you are trusting yourself and your means, rather than trusting Him. Your degree of safety has just dropped! Look out, lest He send a thief and robber this very night to prove that you need to trust Him. You should take ordinary precautions, cast your worries upon Him, and go to sleep peacefully and safely.
Kings prepared horses for battle, because God created the horse to be a valuable weapon in war (Job 39:19-25). Their great speed, strength, and courage added greatly to an army’s ability in the field, prior to the invention of planes, tanks, and other mechanized weapons. Chariots drawn by horses were also used often (I Kings 4:26; 10:26). An army with a cavalry and/or chariot division was considered to be far superior to mere infantry.
But God wants you to know that regardless of your efforts to protect you or your family, you are actually dependent on Him for your safety. Your trust in the LORD is more important than anything else, even though He expects you to take ordinary precautions in this matter of safety and all other matters. He wants you to believe He will protect you.
The wicked Ahab, having been told the LORD would kill him that day, went into battle disguised to prove the LORD wrong. But a chance arrow, shot with no particular target in mind, found a slight seam in his armor and killed him (I Kgs 22:30-38). Trust the Lord, and He will protect you. Reject the Lord to trust your own efforts, and He will judge you.
The Lord Protector of England, Oliver Cromwell, who led one of the must successful armies in the history of England, is said to have exhorted his troops with these words, just prior to a battle against a numerically superior foe: “Put your trust in the Lord – and keep your powder dry!” Exactly! In his words, faith and prudence are rightly combined.
To the degree you trust the horse (or any other natural means of protection), you lose God’s blessing on your efforts. Put your trust in the LORD, and minimize your confidence in natural means as far as you can. Many are the Scriptures demeaning the horses and chariots of those not trusting the LORD (Deut 17:16; II Chron 16:7-12; Ps 147:10; Eccl 9:11; Is 30:1-7,15-17; 31:1; 36:6-10; Jer 17:5; Ezek 17:15-19; Amos 5:4-8).
Follow David, who wrote, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God” (Ps 20:7). And, “There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy” (Ps 33:16-18).
Learn the life-saving wisdom taught by David to only do your reasonable best in any matter and to trust God to take care of the rest (Ps 127:1-2). This applies to safety and any other endeavor in your life. What are you afraid of? Turn it over to the Lord after reasonable effort and go to bed with your confidence in God. If you keep your mind settled on Jehovah God and His ability, He will give you perfect peace (Is 26:3-4).
The great day of battle is coming, reader. The day comes in which you will be stripped naked of all human supports before the devouring eyes and holy justice of the Blessed and Only Potentate. In that day, make sure your confidence is only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Look not to your faith or believing. Make no claim of your good works done for Him. Do not offer mere words about Him. Beg and trust Him for pure mercy. You shall be saved with an everlasting salvation, for SALVATION IS OF THE LORD (Jonah 2:9).
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Success is From the Lord – Prov. 21:31 – A horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.
Quote: Tim Salmon had a big day at the plate on Tuesday. The Anaheim Angels right fielder had a grand slam and drove in five runs in an 11-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox (August 6th, 2002). Tim told Sports Spectrum that a certain Scripture has given him inspiration:
“I came across a verse recently: Proverbs 21:31, ’Horses are made ready for battle, but the victory rests in the hands of the Lord.’ That verse is so true; it makes so much sense to me. I’ll do what I’ve always done, I’ll go out there and do everything I can to prepare for the game, and you know what?
I’m just doing what the Lord has called me to do. If success is meant to be, it’ll be there for me. If not, well, I’m just doing what the Lord has called me to do.”
Quote: Abraham Lincoln said, “Without God I cannot succeed. With God I cannot fail.”
1. God expects us to do all the preparation that is necessary to be victorious with our endeavors. Just as the soldier had to train his horse and provide nourishment to the animal so we need to provide mental and spiritual food for our minds and souls if we are expected to be prepared for the battles of life. General Macarthur said, “The most important lesson I learned at West Point is preparation is one key to victory.” It is always better to be over prepared than under prepared for your tasks.
2. God wants us to obey Him regardless of whether of not victory seems likely. Many times we go to work not sure if we will be victorious in our endeavors, but we are to believe God will give the victory in His own way and in His own time. Joseph was not given visible victory until eighteen years had elapsed after his brothers sold him into slavery. Wait on the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Trust also in Him and He will bring things to pass. (Psa. 37:3-5)
3. God is the ultimate giver of success, victory and accomplishment. Even though we need to utilize the means available to us in fighting the good fight of faith, we are to rely on the Lord for victory, success and accomplishments. Do not deceive yourself in to thinking that by your own wisdom, hard work or skill that you earned success. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father in heaven. Too many people become proud when they give in to the false notion that success is as a result of their own doing. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before stumbling.
4. God enables us to achieve victory by His Spirit’s power. The Lord told Zerubbabel, “Not by power or by might but by my Spirit says the Lord of hosts. This mountain will be removed.” (Zech 4:6,7) Too many people are working in the power of the flesh not realizing that God gives the victory, success and fruitful achievements to them. Only the Lord is able to say, “I am at work in you both to will and do of my good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:13,14) God can save without armies, but armies cannot achieve victory without His hand.
Quote: There are no victories at discount prices. General Dwight Eisenhower.
5. God works in us to give us fruit that is both seen in qualitative and quantitative measures. Jesus said, “Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4,5) We are totally dependent on the Lord for any lasting success. All human generated success does not stand the test of time.
6. God measures success by His standards not by human measures. What some people might think of as successful may actually be phony from God’s eyes. Solomon appeared successful to the masses with his wealth, his wives and his kingdom’s influence, but at the end of Solomon life he was a failure in the eyes of God. “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.” (I Kings 11:4) Finish well in the eyes of the Lord.
7. There can be no success against God. The world, the flesh and the devil will constantly try to defeat us. Jesus said, “I came to give you life and to give it in all its abundance (More than enough, plentiful, and full) but the thief comes to steal, slaughter, kill and destroy.” (John 10:10)
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