Tag Archives: Politics

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Spiritual ADD: My journey through Psalms (46-50)

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There is a lot of wind blowing during any political season.

Hot wind.

Cold wind.

Rough wind.

But not a whole lot of zephyrs.

When we are losing our tempers and backing candidates that we can’t really relate to and don’t really even want to follow, agitation increases and we see an increasingly irrational public. So then we turn to social media to spout out ideas and opinions that are only half researched–fueling a forest fire that was started by a couple of blunts and fully baked jerkfaces (yes, that’s a metaphor, but I think it works).

And for some reason, we become so invested in these ideas, ideas we don’t fully understand, that we can’t even communicate without hurting others around us.

I worry.

I worry about what I see out there. What people are saying. What people are thinking. And about my own heart when I am beginning to feel a little helpless and hopeless.

And just when my frustrations are at an all time high, I am reminded….

God is our refuge and our strength and ever present help in trouble (46:1)

No matter what that trouble might be. Even when…

Nations are in uproar and kingdoms fall; He lifts his voices and the earth melts (46:6)

It melts because…

He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet (47:3)

No matter what happens with our nation, politics or leaders, we can be reassured that…

God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne (47:8)

As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord Almighty in the city of our God: God makes her secure forever (48:8)

Because making a city secure doesn’t mean buildings or a place, but a gathering of citizens. And where 2 or more believers gather in His name, we can be sure of his presence and protection.

Nations rise.

And fall.

BUT…

Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me? (49:15)

BECAUSE…

How awesome is the Lord most high, the great king over all the earth (42:2)

And if I can overcome my spiritual ADHD and simply listen as he says:

Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the Earth (46:10)

AND

Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will honor me (50:15).

If we do these things, what more reassurance could we ask for?

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Stop Chasing Other Gods: My journey through Psalms (16-17)

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Psalm 16-17

Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more (16:4a)

This election season has truly disgusted me. Let’s not even discuss the morality or immorality or qualifications of the candidates, but focus solely on the reactions and inaction of the people for a moment.

When the primary was held in my state, I really struggled with a moral dilemma. Do I vote for anyone or no one at all? Technically I am registered independent. Does that mean that I have no responsibility in the primary and therefore have no guilt if I don’t vote? I lost sleep over this decision, and it was only a primary. Because the fact of the matter is, I don’t know what to do. I try to make very informed decisions, but every time I begin to research a candidate—headlines like this arise:

“Anti-Trumpers Beat Trump Supporters”

“Trump Supporters Brutally Assaulted”

“Pro-Cruz Supporter Loses it on Live Show”

“Trump Blast Protestors as ‘thugs and criminals’”

“No, Hillary Clinton Did Not Commit a Crime”

“Sanders Asks for Extension on Financial Disclosure Forms”

And that is just to name a few. It’s disheartening, disillusioning, and disappointing.

But this is not a political soapbox, and I am not taking a stand for or against a particular party, issue or candidate. The fact of the matter is simple: “Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.”

For years our country has been elevating other gods.

Money.

Consumerism.

Greed.

Power.

Lust.

All of these things have taken priority in our culture. So much so that they have ceased to become red flags in even the most moral of our senses. They’ve become common place jokes. Oh, we exclaim, of course he’s corrupt. He’s a politician.

How disgusting.

We’ve all run after these other gods. Over and over and over again. To one degree or another they’ve embedded themselves as a part of American society. A new Babylon. And it is time to pay the piper.

Unless we begin to lay boundary lines in pleasant places, we will not receive a delightful inheritance. We will suffer. The problem is not immigration. The problem is not guns. The problem is not the environment or fracking or even education.

The problem is in our hearts. When we run after other gods. We. Will. Suffer.

As for me, I still don’t rightly know what is ahead of me in the upcoming political field, but I do know that “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right I will not be shaken. […] You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presences, with eternal pleasure at your right hand” (16:8;11). Even in the midst of a collapsing empire, you will “hide me in the shadows of your wings” (17:8b). 

Questions to Ponder

1) How do we keep ourselves from falling into the trap of serving other gods in a culture that encourages this behavior?

2) How does American culture suffer as a result of chasing after these gods?

3) What would change in our society if we shifted our focus off these gods?

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