•10:47 PM
I hate election season. This one seems to be the worst. I tend to get pretty riled up over things. I get into many conversations with my DH about election and candidate issues. Often, the children are listening in. Sometimes this is good, and informative for them. Other times, maybe not.
This is a stressful election for me. My emotions are running high. I have even dreamed about it at night. We don't ever use swear words in our home. However, my kids have overheard me refer to some voters as "idiots", and some political party members as "goofballs". I have also had some choice nicknames for the mass media. I am definitely forming my kids' political point of view at a young age.
This is not talk that is glorifying to God. The Spirit is convicting me big time.
This election, I am quite concerned. I really do not trust one of the candidates to be in the White House. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him: with my little finger, that is. If he gets elected, I truly fear for our nation's future. Herein is my mistake.
In other words, he was reassuring Paul that he wasn't going to die at the hand of these Jews. He was going to make it through. Furthermore, he would eventually make it to Rome one day.
Like I said before, my biggest mistake is fear. I act out of fear, I speak out of fear, and it is not glorifying to God. Has God written all of human history? YES! Does this mean that everything is going to come up rosy for America? Maybe not. Maybe our country will be chastised. After all, many have forsaken God in America.
Abraham boldly repeated his question several times, each time reducing the count of righteous people, until he got to merely ten.
May these passages give you comfort in these tumultuous times, as they do for me. I pray that I may no longer act and speak out of fear, but of confidence in our good and holy God who writes all of human history, just the way he wants it.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, -- think about such things. PHILIPPIANS 4:8
This is a stressful election for me. My emotions are running high. I have even dreamed about it at night. We don't ever use swear words in our home. However, my kids have overheard me refer to some voters as "idiots", and some political party members as "goofballs". I have also had some choice nicknames for the mass media. I am definitely forming my kids' political point of view at a young age.
This is not talk that is glorifying to God. The Spirit is convicting me big time.
This election, I am quite concerned. I really do not trust one of the candidates to be in the White House. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him: with my little finger, that is. If he gets elected, I truly fear for our nation's future. Herein is my mistake.
This morning, when I was studying scripture with Little Son, we read through Acts Chapter 23. After several of his missionary journeys, Paul had travelled to Jerusalem, where he angered many Jewish leaders with his talk of the Gospel. At one point, the mob was about to kill Paul on the spot. Enter the Roman military commander, who stepped in and protected Paul from certain death, kept him under guard in the Roman barracks, and provided an opportunity for Paul to address the crowd with his message. Later, when this commander heard of another Jewish plot to ambush and kill Paul, the Romans went to great expense and trouble to usher Paul safely and securely out of the city, north to Caesarea, with a letter of explanation and arrangements for a fair trial to be held before Governor Felix.
Now we don't often think of Roman military commanders as nice guys, or even good people. They were known for unspeakable cruelty, and were responsible for carrying out brutal punishments and crucifixions. Many were corrupt and sinful. They were ridiculously harsh in their treatment of non-Roman subjects, but were comparatively lenient with Roman citizens. But this particular commander, who is unnamed, saw terrible injustice about to occur and went to a lot of trouble to insure Paul's safety. Of course his job was to keep the peace in the territory, but he went way above and beyond the call of duty on Paul's behalf. Some of it was because he discovered at one point that Paul was a Roman citizen. But then again?
The first night Paul was in the barracks, Jesus spoke to him and said:
"Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify in Rome". Acts 23:11b.
In other words, he was reassuring Paul that he wasn't going to die at the hand of these Jews. He was going to make it through. Furthermore, he would eventually make it to Rome one day.
So Little Son and I discussed how the Lord is writing all of human history. Nothing happens without first being planned by the Lord. And God can use some very unlikely people to enact his amazing plans, just as he did with this Roman commander.
Just as he will do with whichever candidate takes the American presidency in 2008.
Like I said before, my biggest mistake is fear. I act out of fear, I speak out of fear, and it is not glorifying to God. Has God written all of human history? YES! Does this mean that everything is going to come up rosy for America? Maybe not. Maybe our country will be chastised. After all, many have forsaken God in America.
I close with one more scripture passage that speaks to me in the context of the future of our country. It is Genesis 18:16 - 33. This is when Abraham pleaded with the Lord on behalf of Sodom.
Abraham remained standing before the LORD. Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
Abraham boldly repeated his question several times, each time reducing the count of righteous people, until he got to merely ten.
Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."
When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
May these passages give you comfort in these tumultuous times, as they do for me. I pray that I may no longer act and speak out of fear, but of confidence in our good and holy God who writes all of human history, just the way he wants it.
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3 comments:
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. The uncoming elections have been in my prayers quite a lot lately, and I likewise have to confess a great deal of fear over their outcome. I needed some solid reminders of how God is always soveregn and is the one true leader.
Thank you for your post. The elections are on my mind and in my prayers as well. I don't find much of virtue in the political candidates. And here in California we are fighting just to defend traditional marriage and families. The Lord is writing history, and he uses people to do it--so maybe our most fervent prayers should be that we can know and do OUR parts.
Awesome thoughts...and very similar to how the Lord has led me as I consider the candidates...while knowing that He is in full control.
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