I recently read an article, actually a series of articles in Newsweek magazine subtitled, “The Scary Challenges Facing the Next President on Day One.” There’s no question we are in a difficult time, the plummeting stock market, a world economy in recession, job loss, and new jobs are evaporating (Michigan’s unemployment is above 10% and expected to rise in the year). My generation doesn’t even know if social security will be around for us when we get to retirement. Healthcare costs keep going up (we have the highest healthcare costs per capita in the world). We have like 11 trillion dollars of debt and growing. We continue to fight a war on terror with ongoing fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. We face the possibilities of aggressive nations having the future capabilities of nuclear weapons. It can be kind of scary.
In the midst of this has been the election for the top office in the country, the most powerful position in the world, president of the United States of America. This past week we voted and elected a new president. But what has been interesting to me watching the run for election has been the reaction people have had as a result of this election, some have gotten very excited, other people are very discouraged and very concerned about our future. No doubt this is a historic time, we have the first black president, Barack Obama. But the question which comes to my mind right now is, in whom or what do you trust right ? Do you trust in a political party? A new president? In the government? Do you trust in the economy?
David wrote in Psalm 20:7
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
A more modern translation says, "Some nations boast of their armies and weapons, but we boast in the LORD our God."
Are we trusting in something other than God right now? If we do they perhaps we should worry, because God is our hope, not the leadership of our country, or armies or weapons, or anything else.
I am reminded of the OT in the Bible when the nation of Israel first got started, they didn’t have a national leader like a president or a king, it was a theocracy, God led with a judge or judges over the people. They had 12 tribes with different leaders but they were not very united. They had problems working together. The leadership they did have was corrupt and made poor choices so the people demanded that God give them a new leader. They wanted a king like all the other nations had.
In other words when things were not going well, the people thought what they needed most was a change in leadership, a new administration, a new structure of government. If we just get this new leader to rule over us everything will be okay. He will solve all of our problems. He will protect us from our enemies, he will bring a sense of unity among our divided people (bipartisanship?), he will stabilize our economy, he will provide a new direction, he will provide the change we need. Does this sound familiar? Of course it does, both presidential candidates were promising it.
Listen to God’s response to Samuel:
1 Sam. 8:7 And the LORD told him [Samuel]: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected [he was the religious national leader at the time], but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly."
God was telling Samuel that the reason they put their hope in new leadership to solve their problems was because they had rejected God as their leader. They no longer looked to God as their helper, and the same goes for us, if we quit looking to God we’re in trouble.
I am not saying anything against Barack Obama or John McCain if he had become president, or any of the other elected officials. I’m sure they will do their best to lead our country through these difficult times in the way they think is right. What I’m saying is they are human beings, they have flaws. They are not perfect and they will make mistakes. God went on to warn the people of Israel through Samuel of all the flaws a national leader would bring.
The primary problem in our country is not the economy or terrorism, or health care. The biggest problem is not something the government or the next president can fix at all. It is a sin problem. By sin, I mean people are rejecting God as their leader. They are failing to love and serve God, and each other.
This works itself out in many ways. One way is the problem of affluenza, greed. If it wasn’t for our desire for more and bigger stuff, would people have borrowed more than what they can afford to repay, charging it even though they don’t have the funds to back it up,? Would people have bought bigger homes with a mortgage bigger than what they could realistically afford? That’s not a problem the government can regulate or solve. They can try to keep the mortgage lenders accountable, but you can’t change the inner desire for more stuff, bigger stuff, better stuff. Would companies be going bankrupt if it there weren’t so many cases of embezzlment, and profiteering from questionable business practices? If our country followed God’s principles rather than celebrating immortality, would terrorist cells be able to get the recruiting support against us? The government can’t change people’s lifestyles, and legislate morality. Our health care system can’t cure poor health choices like gluttony and lack of exercise, or excessive drinking and smoking, leading causes of heart trouble.
Folks what we have in our country is a character problem, a spiritual problem. It is people rejecting God, forsaking him, to do whatever they think is best, and turning to serve other gods. You might give me a puzzled look because 90% of the people in our country believe in God. 80% claim to be Christian, 33% show up in services on an average week.
But our real gods is what we truly value. It is what we worship, spending our time, energy, and money on the most. Things like entertainment (sitting in front of the television or computer), sporting events, hobbies. These are our real gods. Think about it, where do people spend most of their time and money? Jesus said our money follows what we really value. He said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Real Change
Both parties have been talking about the need for change, and they are right, but real change isn’t going to happen with a new president, new legislators, new policies and legislation, change begins with people who choose to trust in God and turn to him.
At the time 2 Chronicles was written it was a pinnacle in the history of Israel. They had just finished all of King Solomon’s building projects the high point being the Temple in Jerusalem. It was a time of great prosperity, and peace, national pride was running high. And yet in the midst of dedicating the temple God gave a warning. He said there is going to come a time when he would shut up the heavens so no rain falls, or cause locusts to eat up their crops. In other words agricultural and therefore economic meltdown. Why? Because God just likes to be mean every once in a while? No, it’s because the people abandoned God. He follows with this well known Scripture passage
NIV 2 Chronicles 7:14 "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
What we often forget in the midst of an election, in the midst of scary times is that God is still in control. Yes, he has given us freedom to make our own choices. But God is in control of the destiny of our nation. And as God reminds us, a nation that trusts in God, God will bless, he will heal, it will prosper. A nation which turns its back on God, he will reject, he will allow the natural consequences of its sin to run its course, which I believe is what we are experiencing now. It doesn’t matter who the leader is, or how much legislative changes they manage to push through, without people turning back to God it won’t matter.
The Good News of God’s word to Solomon is that change can come to our nation, when God’s people set the tone for the nation and do these three things:
1. Humble Ourselves
To be humble is to see ourselves the way God sees us. We take an honest look at ourselves and admit where we have sinned. To be humble also means we look out for others as much as we do for ourselves. I believe JFK was echoing God’s word when he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” When we look to a leader or a government to fix our problems, we don’t take responsibility for ourselves or our communities and the problems therein. It’s someone else’s job. We ask, ‘what are you going to do for me.’ That’s selfish, that’s not from God. As Christians, God says we humble ourselves and ask what can we do, what will we do, to change our community? Yes, there are problems but what are we doing to make a difference. Ultimately, we know real change only happens when someone turns their life over to God. We have the message of real hope. Let’s not wait for someone else to fix our community
2. Pray
1 Timothy 2:1 "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."
I realize we don’t have kings because we live in a democracy, but we do need to pray for those who are in leadership. Our president, our congress, our Supreme Court are going to have very difficult decisions ahead of them. We can talk all we want, we can complain and grumble about the situation we are in, but talking doesn’t change a thing. What changes things is prayer. God says pray, and let me change it. Nothing will happen if we don’t pray.
3. Seek God’s Face
God is still in control
