“Do not put your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish” (Psalm 146:3-4).
Naïve at 21
It was November 1980. I had just turned 21 three months earlier. (Yes, you can now figure out my age.) I was eligible to vote in my first presidential election.
I was convinced that Ronald Reagan would make the needed difference for America. While I respect his presidency, Ronald Reagan did not save America.
The policies put in place during his eight years and the four years of George H.W. Bush were swept away the next eight years: “…on that very day his plans perish.”
Do Not Trust in Presidents, Politicians, or Political Parties
While we should all be active citizens; we should never place our hope in presidents, politicians, or political parties—whether Democrats or Republicans. Our only hope is in Christ and in each person surrendering their hearts to His rule—His holy, loving, wise, and gracious shepherding of us individually and corporately.
The hope of our nation is in Christ and the Body of Christ—churches that make an impact for Christ and on society one soul at a time. The Christ-centered church is the greatest superpower in the universe.
No human being, no president, no political party can save us—only Christ can. Could any passage state it more clearly than the passage we began with—Psalm 146:3-4? “Do not put your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.”
President come…and presidents go…but Jesus reigns forever.
When a president’s breath departs, he returns to the earth; but Jesus rose from the grave to reign over the earth forever.
Do Not Despair
Just as no president can save us, so also no president can ever doom us.
Person after person in article after article, post after post, Facebook update after Facebook update, and tweet after tweet states, “Don’t you understand that our nation will never recover if ________ is elected president!”
Really?
Never?
God remains on His throne, regardless of who is in the White House.
I’m not proclaiming: #ElectionsDon’tMatter!
To see how seriously I take elections, read my recent post 9 Perspectives on Trump, Clinton, and the Evangelical Christian Voter.
I am saying: #Jesus’ReignMattersMost!
God rules in affectionate sovereignty no matter how evil the earthly ruler may seem.
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turns it wherever he wills” (Proverbs 21:1).
Do we really believe that 4 years or 8 years of a bad president will doom us forever?
We need to recall to mind the words of the psalmist regarding God:
“A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4).
A thousand years of a bad political party in power would only be like the night shift in God’s eternal chronology.
For those of us who are pro-life and pro-family, we’ve endured an entire generation of Supreme Court decisions that assault our most cherished convictions. Yet, God has still been on His throne. And He will remain on His throne the next generation, a thousand generations after that, and forever and ever. Even while the wicked Nero ruled on earth, Christ ruled over heaven and earth.
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Romans 13:1).
#JesusIsKingofKings
#JesusISPresidentofPresidents
Do Be Salt and Light
Now is not the time to despair. And now is not the time to attack one another. Now is the time to be salt and light. And the light shines brightest in the darkness.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).
Recently I’ve read Facebook fights among Evangelical Christians in front of a watching non-Christian world. They make me blush. They bring shame to Christ’s name.
Can we disagree with one another? Of course.
Can we do so in public in a way that could honor Christ? Yes.
But when we attack one another with childish taunts, we sound more like immature presidential candidates than like mature Christ-followers.
#JesusIsKing
#LiveLikeKingJesus
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