A PSALM FOR TODAY

 

Psalm 146:1-5

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, O my soul.

I will praise the Lord all my life;

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Do not put your trust in princes,

in mortal men, who cannot save.

When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;

on that very day their plans come to nothing.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

                 As we begin a new year, we will be inaugurating a new President of the United States. For many people, this is a joyous occasion. For many others, this is a terrifying occasion. Those same emotions prevailed four years ago when Donald Trump was inaugurated as President, except the groups were reversed. We do not know what the real outcome will be from this current election, but you can be assured that many of the things that President Trump did on his own will be reversed by President Biden. That is the way partisan politics works.

                One of the traps that the Church has fallen into on more than one occasion is putting its hope in a particular political leader or political party. It happened centuries ago when Constantine embraced Christianity and made it the official religion of the Roman Empire. The political power of the Church increased and the spiritual influence of the Church decreased. Not that long ago, many Christians put their faith in the Moral Majority, led by some prominent Christian leaders. That influence was short lived and the strides that were made to legislate morality have pretty much been obliterated. Most recently, some Christians have put their hope in Donald Trump as the savior of our religious freedom. Things are not turning out they way they had hoped it would.

                As Christians, we have an obligation to be fully engaged in the political process. The Bible tells us to exercise our rights and responsibilities as good citizens. But our hope is not, and never has been, in politics. Our hope is in the Lord and in Him only. As the psalm says, the plans of people will all come to an end. Whoever is in power will have their say for a season, but when they are no longer in power, their plans will fade. The only plans that will ultimately succeed are the plans of God. As it says in Proverbs 19:21, Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

                The Church has lost its voice within the public dialog in part because we have become known more for what we are against than what we are for. It is time for the Church to stop trying to be a political power in our world and return to being the people of God. It was the positive actions of the early church that attracted people and turned their world upside down. If we want to turn our world upside down, we need to get back to the basics of our faith; to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. There is no greater or more powerful cause.

                As we enter into a new political climate, the Bible has some timely advice for us. First, we need to leave the outcomes in God’s hands. Paul tells us exactly the stance we should take as we move forward.

Romans 12:17-21

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary:

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

                When the people of Israel were sent off into exile by God, the prophet Jeremiah told them how they should respond to their circumstances. His words are appropriate for the Church today.

Jeremiah 29:4-7

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

                 God has made it clear how we should face our uncertain future. We need to put of hope and trust fully in Him. He has also given us a sure-fire way to influence those who are in power. Earnestly take them before God in prayer.

1 Timothy 2:1-4

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.