A Timely Prayer from Psalm 45

Just last night, my husband and I were discussing with friends the current situation regarding all the caucuses and the political machinery that is marching towards the final choices for President that we will be offered this coming November. 

This morning, I opened up Bible Gateway to Psalm 45, where I “just happened” to be for today in my slow tour through the Psalms. Psalm 45 paints a picture of a godly king who leads with truth, humility, and justice. My Bible Gateway app also opened this psalm in The Voice translation, the version I “just happened” to using last night for something else. The Voice offered the following timely notes in the middle of Psalm 45:

“Whether we realize it or not, the overall wellbeing of a nation is tied directly to its leaders. When the leaders are just and make good decisions, then the welfare of a nation is secure. But when leaders are unjust and make poor decisions, and they pursue personal agendas rather than the public good, then nations suffer. This is why Scripture instructs those of faith to pray for all people everywhere, especially that those in authority would lead the world to dignity and peace (1 Tim 2:1-3).

Psalm 45 celebrates that rare breed, a godly king who pursues truth and justice…May the world witness a new breed of leader, fashioned in the image of this psalm.” 

In a season when many are concerned about who our next president will be and where our country is headed … at a time when many are wondering if they should even vote because of the choices that we are offered … it seems that Scripture calls us to pray for our leaders ---something that we should not neglect or underestimate. We need to pray fervently for whomever our next president will be.

Lord, I pray that you will fill Trump, Hillary, Sanders (or whomever else rises to the top of the list of candidates) with incredible wisdom…wisdom beyond their years, beyond their education, and beyond their experiences (James 1:5).

I pray you will give them the discernment necessary to know what is best for the people of this country (Prov 28:2).

I pray you will give them the strength and courage to do what needs to be done (Josh 1:7).

I pray you will give them the humility necessary to listen to you and to listen to those that you place around them who are able to guide them in a wise, discerning fashion (Ps 25:9).

As for this election, the future of this country and this world, I pray “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10).

I pray that each of these candidates and our future President will ultimately turn to you and serve you, the King of Kings, with their very lives and that they will speak your words and serve in your strength in order to bring you glory (1 Pet 4:11).

Finally, I pray that we will all “bring honor to your name in every generation. Therefore, the nations will praise you forever and ever” (Ps 45:17 NLT)

Amen.

Justice for Exiles?

The Supreme Court of the United States passed a ruling yesterday that is very unpopular among Christians because it goes against Scripture and against our beliefs. There has already been much discussion on what our response to this ruling should be. Some Christians actually seem to be surprised by the court’s decision, but I don’t think we should be surprised at all. I am afraid that at times we have become much too comfortable here in America and we forget where our true citizenship lies (Phil 3:18-20).

The apostle Peter wrote that we (the church, followers of Jesus) are “foreigners and exiles” here (1 Pet 2:11). A foreigner (paroikous) is one who “dwells somewhere without national rights” (TDNT). That is diametrically opposed to our views here ---Americans are all about “our rights.” That’s how we got to this court decision in the first place! But according to Peter, Christians do not have national rights in any land on earth.

Think about exiles in a biblical context and when the Jews were hauled off into exile in Babylon (2 Kings 25:11, Esth 2:6, etc). While they were in exile, away from their home country, they did not expect the Babylonians to set up laws in that land that reflected the Israelites' beliefs, nor did they expect the Babylonians to outlaw all pagan gods and rule that all who lived in that land should live according to Yahweh’s commands and moral code. Why do we expect this to happen in America?

God’s instructions to His people while in exile were to “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…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” (Jer 29:5-7). Do we pray for the peace and prosperity of this nation or just complain because our rights are being violated?

Peter gave us, as Christians, similar instructions as we live in exile in a land not our own. He does not tell us to try to change the laws of the land or to complain that the government does not reflect the teachings of Scripture. He does say that we are to “abstain from sinful desires, which war against you soul” (1 Pet 2:11). He also tells us to “live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God” (1 Pet 2:12).

When those in authority in this country or those within the LGBT community look at us, as followers of Christ, although they accuse us of doing wrong because we believe that marriage is one man and one woman, will they see our good deeds and glorify God? Will they see us living up to our beliefs on marriage? Will they see us praying for the peace and prosperity of this nation? 

"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God."