Devotional: The Powers That Be

Romans 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.


Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.

 As I have been watching the Presidential campaigns, and all the news of corruption in high places, I have at times despaired for our nation.  I do not see anything good to come from this election.  Neither candidate will take our nation where it should go as far as I can see.  It is easy to lose hope and wonder where God is in all of this and what He is doing.  Have you been in this place too?

It's time for a reminder from God's Word, that He is in control of what looks like a big mess to us.  The two scriptures above remind us of two things:

1. God controls who is put into government leadership positions.
2. God is in control of whatever they do.

This does not mean that God causes them to make policies that are bad. He is not the author of sin.  But it does mean that in His Providence,  allows them to make bad decisions when it is according to His will to use those bad decisions to accomplish some other purpose for the good of His people.

We often think that good means things that are pleasant, and beneficial to the way we would want things to be done in accordance with our own definition of what good is. Our definition of good often focuses on temporal comforts.  God's purposes are much higher than that. He is focused on our spiritual good. This will include discipline. Hebrews 12:11 says, "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

Often, that discipline will come on a whole nation in the form of evil leaders.  If you have spent any time reading the Old Testament you will see that pattern with the Children of Israel.

Our nation may be headed for some tough times of judgment and discipline.  Yet, as a Christian, although I realize these times will affect me and my loved ones, I know that God is working and I can take comfort in knowing that He has the bigger picture in mind. These times can be used to drive us closer to Him.  He will use these times to purify His Church and prepare us for heaven.

These are scary, but exciting times we live in as we watch Bible prophecies beginning to be fulfilled.  God's Word will not return to Him void.  It will accomplish the purpose to which He has sent it.  Take comfort in our unchanging, all-controlling, eternal God.