No Earthly King

Tomorrow is the long-awaited official election day in the US, where the nation will decide who will be president for the next 4 years, as well as settling the same question concerning the balance of power in quite a few Senate and House of Representative races.  This is a big event, and it is pivotal in the history of the world, however it goes.

I say it is big, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the world.  I want to remind everyone that we aren't electing a Christ, but rather, an earthly king of sorts.  Whoever gets into office will be imperfect, and prone to sin.  That person, no matter how qualified, is capable of leading the entire nation farther astray if he moves in his own power and doesn't follow the urging of God. 

I say farther astray because I believe the nation has already strayed far from the principles of godliness outlined in the Bible.  I believe this is even reflected in the reputations and beliefs of the candidates we have to choose from.  That's why we should be prayerful about who we vote for, and keep praying for whoever wins (even if we didn't vote for that person) after election day is over.  However it goes, God is still in control, and that's what I want to talk about today.

An Earthly King: What It Means

The ancient Israelites once lived without a visible, central government and single leader, in the period of the Judges. During this time, they were held together loosely by their tribal affiliation and more tightly by the religious customs and laws God had established through the Law of Moses.  In fact, God ruled them as their King, occasionally sending Judges to do His will among them through all of those years.

However, their hearts strayed from God, and they ceased to acknowledge Him as their high King and ruler. They wanted a visible government, complete with a king and officials, which they saw as preferable to the leadership of an invisible God. They were looking for someone who looked "kingly," (1 Samuel 9:2) and they put great stock in the strength of their warriors and in the cleverness of this individual, who would lead them all to victory.  This pride in their warriors and faith in their king would make them just like everybody else (1 Samuel 8: 10-22).

This decision to follow an earthly king reflected a lack of faith in God. They didn't want Him to lead them and direct them any more, though He had proven Himself many times. They would rather trust in human strength, cleverness, and foresight, rather than trust in God's power. It was rebellion.

A Greater King

I have seen people in despair over this election.  Some seem to follow candidates with an almost religious devotion and fear the worst if their votes do not prevail.  I've heard multiple reports of voting fraud already, due to the new early voting option.  I've even heard reports of people threatening to riot if they don't get their way (which is unheard of in the US, for those who don't live here).  I can't say that the worst won't happen.  I will admit that it looks pretty grim.
However, I'm not ready to despair.  I follow a greater King, who I believe is going to take care of me if everything else falls apart.  He will not be dethroned in any election.  He wasn't dethroned in the ancient "election" that chose the first king for Israel.  Even though they had an earthly king, he and all of his court were still answerable to God.

In fact, God is in control of this election, though many strive to control it.  God already knows the outcome, and can do as He pleases about it.  As Isaiah described God:

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers.  He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.  He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.  No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. (Isaiah 40: 22-24)

If we have been foolish, as the ancient Israelites were, and have put all our hope in the strength of an earthly king, we may get what we asked for, as they did.  That was its own punishment, as Samuel warned them (1 Samuel 8: 11-18), outlining a loss of property and personal freedom, leading to oppression.  Their earthly kings began by taking their sons to war and ultimately led the whole nation into shame and exile.

We can learn from their hard lesson, and not hang all of our hopes on people.  It is better to trust in God, and do our best as Christians to support a government that submits to God and maintains law and order (Romans 13: 1-5),  "not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience" as Paul explained.  All those in authority are put there by God, and answerable to His authority, so take heart!

See you at the polls! Don't forget to pray.

Tackling the Mess with Faith

Today, I have to admit that I am suffering from an acute case of mental clutter that has lapsed over into real life. I look around and see a whole bunch of unfinished projects and half-run errands, like that craft project I bought the stuff for but didn't make, or things I didn't quite put back in their places because I would have to move too much furniture to do it.

I'm talking about it today because I think this is a common problem, and that it is often a testament to a kind of underlying fear (the type and origin of the fear depends on the situation).  Now, those who know God don't have to be afraid, because He's given us freedom from fear, but I can personally testify that once we've gotten into the habit, it is very difficult to stop.

Some people call fear a sin, condemning it as doubt of God, but I think it's really doubt of the physical world, such as doubt of our own strength. That doubt is something God can use to build our faith, if we let Him, or it can be a doubt that cripples us.

 I'm speaking of myself, too, as you recall.

Sometimes clutter, including mental clutter, comes from a deep need to avoid further trauma, but God is bigger than that trauma, and can use the situation to prove to us again that He can heal us, and that He is with us as we deal with the situation.  Sometimes clutter comes when we feel we need to prove ourselves, so we hyper-focus on that one aspect of our lives, letting the clutter build up elsewhere. In this case, God can build our faith by showing us how He gives us value and sustains us, and how He is worthy of our trust. God can make our efforts meaningful and adequate, even when we feel we haven't done enough, and He can stay on the job, taking care of the situation when we need to go do something else.

Sometimes fear-induced clutter has a different origin, which I might not have described, but I can say that whatever it is, God can meet that need. He can deal with the problem. We just have to have that tiny bit of faith that opens the door for Him to work on it with us. This is something God has been teaching me lately.

I am reminded of the verse in Hebrews that defines faith as a belief built on proof of God's power, which gives substance to the things we can't see yet. It says in the NIV, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see," (Hebrews 11: 1).  This verse sort of describes that middle time we are now living, between the thing God did that first gave us confidence in Him, and the thing God is going to do next, which will reassure us of that confidence.  The verse also points out that faith is generalizable; that is, it may have started when God proved His power in one situation, but it looks forward to a point when God will deal with something that came up later. In other words, faith believes that the same God who fixed us long ago can fix us today, and tomorrow, too, no matter what comes up.

So, wrapping this up, how can we deal with the fear-induced clutter of the mental and physical variety?  A lot of people say, "Just face it. Just start the process of cleaning up." Maybe that's all it is going to take for some people, but if fear is too crippling to allow us to "just start," I would say that we have to start by renewing our faith.  We need to remember God's strength, goodness, healing, or whatever answer He holds for our present need.  If we're going to face our fear, we need our confidence back, and that confidence is found in the unseen, but very real, power of God. Then, we can tackle the mess.

Are you dealing with fear-induced clutter today?  Here are some questions for reflection.

1.  Sometimes clutter is the physical sort, like dirty laundry or junk mail. Sometimes it's mental, like social media and television, which can keep us from dealing with pressing issues in our lives.  What kind(s) of clutter do you feel you are dealing with today?  Is fear involved in the situation?
2. In Psalm 77, David looked to the past to refresh his faith. What has God done for you in the past that inspired faith in Him? What was He teaching you about Himself in those circumstances?
3. How can God's actions in the past give us confidence in our present circumstances?
4. As we begin to tackle the clutter in our lives, what can we do to keep our confidence--our faith--strong throughout the week?

The Luxury of Rest

I'm writing my Monday blog on Tuesday, because I've been busy with a million little tasks the past few days. I'm not complaining.  However, I do find it ironic that the subject God has been talking to me about a lot over the past week has been rest.  Specifically, the nature of the sabbath.

I've been reading a book about the sabbath this week, on loan from my sister, called Sabbath Keeping, by Lynne M. Baab. I also keep stumbling across articles in magazines and on the web stressing the importance of rest and vacation time. Here are some key points I've gleaned from it all.

• Doctors and office workers are pretty much united in the health benefits of periodic rest from work. I've also read several articles this week touting the benefits to creativity and innovation of taking a break from the routine, or from stress-inducing activities.  Why do we refuse to stop work, with all this evidence for the benefits of rest? Could it be a fear that we'll be left behind in the rush and information deluge? Could it be a fear of financial catastrophe? Whatever the cause, fear doesn't seem like a good place for Christians to live. The sabbath, as it was established, was like a weekly vacation or a celebration to remind us that God (not our own efforts) protects us and prospers us.
• Sabbath in Hebrew can be translated "rest," but it more generally means "stop." So when the Bible says that God rested at the end of creation, it means that He also stopped. He stopped to enjoy all the things He had made, and He took a whole day to do it.  He invites us to step back and enjoy what He created, with Him.

• When God first instituted Sabbath observance in the Ten Commandments, He reminded the nation of Israel of their slavery in Egypt (Deuteronomy 5: 14-15). They had no break from their work as slaves, but the Sabbath distinguished them as free people under God's covenant, with no cruel masters to keep them working without a rest. The Sabbath symbolized freedom and the luxury to enjoy that freedom.
• The Sabbath also symbolized God's abundance. The Israelites had to live hand to mouth every other day of the week, gathering only enough manna for that day, but on the Sabbath, they ate the extra manna, the extra blessing that God had sent them (Exodus 16: 21-26). They did six days of work but got paid for seven, in essence.
• The origin of the Sunday celebration among Christians had to do with the day of the Resurrection, the "Lord's Day," not the timing of the Jewish Sabbath service, which is on Saturday. In essence, Sunday service for most Christians is a combined celebration of God's completion of Creation (the old sabbath) and Christ's completion of our redemption through His death and resurrection (the new sabbath, the new creation).

 

 I shared these points today because I want to encourage my readers to consider taking a Sabbath of some kind, perhaps not on Sunday or Saturday, but maybe on another day of the week. I'm not suggesting legalism or empty ceremony.  I'm talking about celebrating the luxury, freedom, and abundance that we have because of the God we serve.