What ifs...
Originally from November 20, 2020
What if?
These "What if" thoughts came to me while finishing dinner tonight...
Maybe God was trying to show me something. I don't know, but I believe we will certainly find out in His time. While some declare certain victory of their political candidate and others are still theorizing and prognosticating over what will take place, bitter words and divisiveness is being sown around daily like wild seeds.
Meanwhile, I think the Father sits back on His throne shaking His head and even chuckling at our human efforts to make things right and/ or figure out the way things ought to be....
Scripture says that "God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways our higher than our ways!"
Here are some thoughts that came to me this evening.... I don't claim they were necessarily from God-maybe so, maybe not. On the other hand, these ideas are definitely not comfortable to my way of life!
Here goes....
What if the election doesn't turn out the way prophets and political pundits are predicting?
What if your favorite candidate doesn't win after all the dust settles?
What if your favorite candidate does win and things don't turn out the way you hoped for our nation, world, economy and your idea of "The Great American Dream?"
What if the country keeps going south and things get worse for all of us, especially Christians who believe in the infallibility of Scripture and may lose the right to freely worship the way we want? What if, what if, what if????
Then what?
While these 'what if's' were coursing through my mind, it occurred me that when Jesus showed up as Messiah over two thousand years ago, the Jews were really looking for a King that would change the political climate of Israel and save them from Roman oppression. Instead they got a God man that healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, preached repentance and forgave people of their sins. Meanwhile, they continued to suffer great persecution while the Gospel spread like fire throughout the known world of their day. Since when can man stop a move of God? Is He not Almighty?
Jesus came as a King of a different sort and it upset the culture of their day, politically and most of all spiritually. It resulted in a move of God that has continued to this day to one degree or another. History repeats itself.
Could it be that God is going to allow our nation to suffer more trouble as never before in order to usher in the greatest revival and outpouring of His spirit that we've seen since the day of Pentecost?
Could it be that the Lord is grieved over Christians looking to a political answer for a spiritual problem and He's not pleased?
Could it be that what He wants to do in His Church and in the earth has absolutely nothing to do with politics and everything to do with the human heart and our relationship with Our Creator that is being disrupted through our idolizing ideologies, man, prosperity, and earthly pleasures? Could it be that we are elevating all of the above higher than our Worship and love for Jesus? If so, is this not a form of idolatry?
Could it be that God has something planned for us that is far above our human intellect and reasoning?
Could it be that God is going to allow His Church and our nation to suffer great disappointment politically and socially even more, in order to get our full attention spiritually and cause our hearts to turn to Him like never before?
Like I said, these are thoughts that came to me at dinner today while mulling over yet another theory about the current election and how certain prophets are standing their ground while others are celebrating a certain victory for their candidate of choice.
Could it be that we are looking to man rather than Jesus Himself for the answers to questions in our hearts, minds and social ills and God is weary of it? Could it be that God is after inward change that will result in a world wide impact that only His Spirit can bring?
Didn't Jesus say that the Greatest Commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and the second is likened to it that we would love our neighbor as ourselves? How is this even possible apart from His Holy Spirit?
Since when is a Spiritual awakening and revival dependent upon a political outcome?
Selah...