The Apostle Paul wrote to his young protégé Timothy that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) I take comfort in this passage because it is my desire to be a “man of God” – and since, when I read God’s Word, I am taught, rebuked, corrected and encouraged to live a righteous life, then I understand that I am a child of God and that the process of being godly is still ongoing.
This morning, as I was reading in the Bible, I was again chastised by God for my attitude toward the President. Mr. Obama and I are so diametrically at opposite ends of the spectrum of what America should look like that I often take positions against him which are anti-godly. It is one thing to speak against his actions and beliefs, but to speak against the man is very ungodly. In this process, I am often like a stubborn jack-ass with the bit in my mouth. (For those of you who might not understand this, the bit is meant to direct the animal, but when the animal gets hold of the bit, it takes control.) When God is trying to get my attention and I get hold of the bit myself, He will use every tool at his disposal to regain control. So, just last Sunday evening, He did this with Paula when through her He chastised me. In Proverbs 19:14b, “… a prudent wife is from the Lord.”
We had just finished a wonderful Mother’s Day dinner with our family and were on our way home when the subject of emails came up. She asked me “when was the last time you prayed for the president?” I had to admit that it had been a while, but I wasn’t in a mood of listening to her or God. I just changed the subject.
But, God was not through with me yet. His patience is amazing. I can just see Him shaking His head and saying, “Will this boy ever get it right?” However, Father Knows Best, as the old TV series was titled, and this is where my reading in Proverbs 21:1 took me: “The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” So, once again, I have to confess that my heart is hard and I don’t want to pray for the president. However, in doing so, I have to agree with God that often I don’t really believe in His absolute power as God.
If we are all in God’s hand and His Word says that “He works all things together for good for those who are called according to His purpose,” and, if we believe that “the king’s (or president’s) heart” is subject to God, then we must be about praying for that to happen. We have the privilege to participate with God in changing the direction of our country by praying that God will change the heart of our president. If you will read in the story of Daniel, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar stiffened his neck against God and God literally put him out to pasture for about a year eating grass like the cattle. Not until he looked up and acknowledged the “God of heaven” was he restored to his role as king. So, if God can change that pagan king’s heart and if He can change my heart, then He can surely change Obama’s heart and your heart, too.
Once again, I recommit myself to praying that through the president God will be glorified … that America again will be known as a godly nation … and, that, if this president or any other leader gets the bit in his mouth and refuses to honor God, then he (or she) will be removed from any position of leadership (put out to pasture).
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