The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
-Psalm 103:19
Our God is in heaven he does all that he pleases.
-Psalm 115:3
It is [God] who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them like a tent to dwell. Who brings princes to nothing and the rulers of the earth are as emptiness.
-Isaiah 40:22,23
Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do.
-Isaiah 46:8-11
...all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’
-Daniel 4:35
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
-Romans 11:36
True confession: Whenever I read an article or blog that begins with several Bible passages, I skip over them and get to the content of the actual article. That little revelatory tidbit isn’t something I’m necessarily proud of, but I mention it only because you may do the same thing.
In which case...please don’t. Take a moment and thoughtfully read through the above passages. I promise you, the words above these first two paragraphs are far more important than the words below.
I’ll wait...
News flash to no one - it’s election time. Tis’ the season for nice people to turn into not-so-nice people. For quiet people to turn into noisy people. For even-tempered people to turn into outraged people. Regardless of which side of the political aisle you hail from, I think we can all agree - election time can bring out the worst in the best of us.
“May these turbulent times serve as a catalyst to bring out the conspicuous qualities of Christ in us. For that to happen we need to calm down. “
May it not be for the followers of Christ. May these turbulent times serve as a catalyst to bring out the conspicuous qualities of Christ in us. For that to happen we need to calm down.
Around every election cycle, serious damage is done to our Christian witness because we wind up deep in the weeds of either encouraging those who are from our political tribe to press on - or - rage against those not of our tribe to shut up. Try as we may to blame the opposing news agency, social media or sunspots, the truth is, we bring it on ourselves. We fill the social and political pipeline with the same kind of sewage we despise. Let’s face it when one of us Christians goes off on social media about whatever ticks us off - no non-christian is going to respond with, “Gee, what a loving Christian! I think I’ll become one.”
“…in the midst of that trust, we remember what he has called us to do. Love God. Love our neighbor.”
That’s why the above passages are so integral to our time and, yes, even to our own souls. Nowhere and at no time has our God ever said, “Wow, didn’t see that coming.” Whatever happens, this Tuesday will be because a Holy and Sovereign God has deemed it to be so. True. He’s not the kind of God who is going to “run it by us” before he acts. We as his happy servants, therefore, must make the deliberate choice to trust him. And in the midst of that trust, we remember what he has called us to do. Love God. Love our neighbor. Pretty simple marching orders and ones that will be a bucket of cold water over the head of a culture overheated with rage.
With all the spouting, promising, accusing, finger-pointing, pontificating, speculating and whatever else happens this Tuesday, the ultimate conclusion is this:
God wins!
Rest.
I think I’ll read the above passages again. You?
