It's Wednesday.
The election is behind us, and it looks like record numbers of Americans turned out to participate in the political process this year.
I've gotten several emails and messages about the election results, and in reading and thinking about what's next, two verse of Scripture have surfaced time and again:
Daniel 2:19b-21 – "Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: 'Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.'"
1 Timothy 2:1-6 – "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men-- the testimony given in its proper time."
No matter how you and I voted yesterday, our Scriptural mandate is the same - to recognize that God is sovereign today, just as He has always been; to realize that His love never ends for His people; and to remember our responsibility to pray for those in authority over us.
This country has elected a new President and Congress, and our responsibility as Christians is clearly laid out in the 1 Timothy passage above. We are to pray for them, and we are to pray specifically that all of them will be saved and come to a knowledge of the Truth if they are not believers. God desires that every person on this planet will come to know Him through Jesus Christ, the one and only mediator between God and men. Jesus died for every person who has or ever will live - he "gave himself as a ransom for all men."
You may be rejoicing today; you may be glum today. Regardless of how you are feeling, remember the words of God in His Word. Know that it is God who "sets up kings and deposes them" - that is, He sets rulers in place. Paul wrote clearly in Romans 13:1 that "there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." It is an Audience of One that we seek to please and live for, and His Word tells us how to live and how to respond to the leaders that have authority over us.
God is not asleep. God is still on His throne, and He is worthy of our worship and praise today.
This last weekend, I challenged our congregation to memorize this verse of Scripture, from Psalm 20:7 - "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." Our trust and our hope as believers in Jesus Christ is found solely and completely in God.
Do we know what's next? No - just like we didn't a week or a month or a year ago. The future is known only to God. But living in fear is not what we are called to. Know that it is God who reigns today - not a political party which will not endure eternity, not a politician who will serve only for a season - it is God alone who reigns today and forevermore. Keep your eyes focused on Him; remember that our perspectives are limited; and know that God is sovereign over all.
The election is behind us, and it looks like record numbers of Americans turned out to participate in the political process this year.
I've gotten several emails and messages about the election results, and in reading and thinking about what's next, two verse of Scripture have surfaced time and again:
Daniel 2:19b-21 – "Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: 'Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.'"
1 Timothy 2:1-6 – "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men-- the testimony given in its proper time."
No matter how you and I voted yesterday, our Scriptural mandate is the same - to recognize that God is sovereign today, just as He has always been; to realize that His love never ends for His people; and to remember our responsibility to pray for those in authority over us.
This country has elected a new President and Congress, and our responsibility as Christians is clearly laid out in the 1 Timothy passage above. We are to pray for them, and we are to pray specifically that all of them will be saved and come to a knowledge of the Truth if they are not believers. God desires that every person on this planet will come to know Him through Jesus Christ, the one and only mediator between God and men. Jesus died for every person who has or ever will live - he "gave himself as a ransom for all men."
You may be rejoicing today; you may be glum today. Regardless of how you are feeling, remember the words of God in His Word. Know that it is God who "sets up kings and deposes them" - that is, He sets rulers in place. Paul wrote clearly in Romans 13:1 that "there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." It is an Audience of One that we seek to please and live for, and His Word tells us how to live and how to respond to the leaders that have authority over us.
God is not asleep. God is still on His throne, and He is worthy of our worship and praise today.
This last weekend, I challenged our congregation to memorize this verse of Scripture, from Psalm 20:7 - "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." Our trust and our hope as believers in Jesus Christ is found solely and completely in God.
Do we know what's next? No - just like we didn't a week or a month or a year ago. The future is known only to God. But living in fear is not what we are called to. Know that it is God who reigns today - not a political party which will not endure eternity, not a politician who will serve only for a season - it is God alone who reigns today and forevermore. Keep your eyes focused on Him; remember that our perspectives are limited; and know that God is sovereign over all.
Comments