A Time for Change

We are embarking on a season of change. That has been the mantra for quite some time now. We the people (though not me specifically) voted into the office of the President of the United States, a man who proclaimed he will bring about change. Of course, anytime there is a new Administration, there is change – it sort of goes with the territory.


I hope and pray that the change that comes with Barack Obama will be mostly for good, though I’m not overly optimistic that will happen. He and I appear to see certain things very differently, so I am a bit skeptical. But hey, I would love to be proven wrong. There are many people though who are putting their trust, their faith, and their hope in him. They are looking to him for guidance and direction to get them through this dark time. And he will offer it, because that’s what a President does.


Like others though, I won’t be looking to him. Yes, he will generally be considered to be the most powerful man in the world, but he is still just a man. These are difficult times that we are in, with war, terrorism, the economy, unemployment, etc. but in these times, God is doing something.


God is in control. And I believe with all my heart, that He has not turned His back on America. So things may not be as comfortable as we are accustomed too, so what? Does that mean we are doomed? Of course not! God is still on the throne and He can still make a way where there is no way. He can turn things around, He can take care of His children and He can bring about change.


We are all going through the storm right now, one way or another. But our storm doesn’t scare God, and we should stop making the storm to be more powerful than God. We don’t know what is coming next, but He does. If we know God, know His character, then we need not fear. We can, and should, put all our trust in Him.


Even when things don’t make sense to us, we can trust Him because He does things that don’t make sense to us (forgiveness, walking on water, raising the dead, etc). Our understanding comes from what we see and what we know, both of which is limited. But God sees and knows everything, so His understanding is infinitely greater than ours.


The time we are in is crucial to the Kingdom of God. Will we give Him our prayers, our worship, and our words? Will we give Him the honor and glory He deserves? Will we point others to Him, to help them find salvation? If we do, He will not disappoint us. Though the journey may be uncertain and maybe even a little dark, He will guide us along our path. We may stumble and even fall off the path, but He will hold us up or pick us up and will continue leading us always, patiently and lovingly.


Right now, everyone is clamoring for change. Right now, everyone is looking forward to a savior. But how many are missing the Savior? This is the time to be let His light shine through us to push back the darkness. After all, He is the only one who can really change and correct whatever difficulties we are going through.


“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

The Times They Are A Changin'

The word change has been swirling around like desert dust devil. It has been spoken, expanded on, and has caused near hysteria. Change is coming, that’s for sure. But not all change is a good thing. And not all change is a bad thing. This month, we the people of the United States of America, voted into our highest public office, the presidency, our first African American man. This is a change that is good – very good. But I’m not so sure about the change he said he’d bring. When speaking to Planned Parenthood, he assured those in attendance, “The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do.” (Senator Barack Obama, speaking to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, July 17, 2007) This is a change that is not good, it’s horrifying actually.

I have said that I will pray for and support to the best of my ability, our new President. And I will, I am compelled to do so. After the election, I was crushed at the outcome, because of what it looked like for a couple of issues I am passionate about. But then God gave me peace and comforted me. He showed me that He is still God and He is still on the Throne. The changes in our country and specifically in our politics do not change Him, because throughout all eternity, He changes not. When I got this revelation, it felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off of me.

It wasn’t that I became a Pollyanna about the situation, but rather, I realized that while I was surprised by the results, God was not. And it occurred to me, that I do not have the mind of God. I don’t know what God intends to do through this. Obama claims to be a Christian, and he may be. I don’t know his heart and I am not his judge. But I do know this. God is not conventional and He doesn’t fit into all the neat little boxes that we try to put Him in.

So I started thinking more like this. What if? What if there was a radical conversion? Or what if there was a change of character? Or what if Barack Obama was actually a conservative in a liberal’s clothing? What if every penny spent, ounce of energy given, and hate-spewing word spoken by the radical liberals, actually went into electing a man who was not what they thought? Now that would be change I could believe in! I don’t know that any of that is true, but it wouldn’t surprise me too much, because God is not conventional. What if God…?

The point of all this though, is not about who our new President is. The point is actually about who our God is. Our country has always been built up on change. It has always grown and developed through change. Change happens all the time. Economies change, jobs change, people change, fads change, Presidents change, seasons change, and thank goodness, hair styles change! But God does not change. His character and His word are for always.

God is eternal. God is the foundation of our Nation. He always has been, and I believe He always will be. The roots of Christianity run deep and wide in the United States of America. It is like a Palm tree that sways in fiercest of winds, but which very rarely gets uprooted. I believe that God has not and will not turn His back on America, because He cares about America and He knows there is a remnant who are passionate for Him. Do not despair of the times ahead. We may not know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future, and God is good, always.

Yes we are facing some challenging times ahead of us as a Nation. We have the opportunity to choose of overcome the challenges we face, by relying on God instead of a lame-duck President and Congress, or a President-Elect and new Congress. As Christians, out foundation should be built on Him, and He should be our Source – not the government. As Christians, we should worship Him, spend time with Him in prayer, and continue to point others to Him. As Christians we should stand for righteousness, and be sanctified – actually set apart from the rest of society, so that they see Him through us. As Christians, we should choose to do and say what is right, and fight to prevent our great Nation from being taken over by the enemy. With God, we can do all of this and more.

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” ~ Isaiah 40:28