The heart of the king

        They say there are two things you should never talk about...Politics and Religion. Who are "they" anyway?  Politicians are governed or ruled by our sovereign God and true religion is believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sure there are a lot of religions out there, but the only true religion is belief in Christ.  I was in the habit of listening to the local talk radio station. I thought it good to keep informed of what all was going on in the world.  Not so much any more. The folks who host most of the shows on conservative talk radio, though claiming to know God, show little knowledge of God. They get all worked up about our current administration and how awful things are and how if we don't act now our country will fall apart. They don't see the bigger picture. 

        First of all, how did our current President, Barack Obama, rise to that position? Was it because the majority of Americans wanted a change? Or was there another reason? 

"Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings..."   (Daniel 2:20-21) 

"For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another." (Psalm 75:6-7) 

"...that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will..." (Daniel 4:17) 

        Yes, Americans did vote to put Mr. Obama in the White House, but in reality, God used American voters to accomplish His purpose. The problem is few people really understand that...and is that really a problem?  God will accomplish His purpose no matter what man does or doesn't do. 

"And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth  according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what doest thou?" (Daniel 4:35) 

         Like it or not, Mr. Obama is the man who God set up to be the President of the United States of America. Whether we like his policies or not, we are still to show him honor (1 Peter 2:17, Romans 13:1-7, Titus 3:1-2).   However, we live in a nation of filthy dreamers who defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities...just watch TV.  I'm sad to see the direction our nation is going. It is so far from where it started. We have enjoyed the blessings of God for many years, but have turned our back on Him, as a nation. Yet, people still cry, "God Bless America!"   

         I hate to tell you this, but...  "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and the nations that forget God." (Psalm 9:17) 

        The Bible says, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord..." (Psalm 33:12). The problem is America is no longer a Christian nation (according to words of our President).  There is no fear of God before our eyes. We need to stop asking for God to bless America...we need to start asking God to forgive our sins and have mercy on us... 

"O, LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy." (Habakkuk 3:2) 

        Now there's a prayer for the United States of America today...In wrath remember mercy, or God have mercy on America. 

        Some blame our economic woes on the direction that our current administration is taking us. Tell me, Mr. Conservative Radio Talk Show Host, have you ever considered the word of God? 

"The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will." (Proverbs 21:1)         

        In the same way that the rivers are in the hand of the Lord and He turns them in the direction He pleases, so the heart of our President is in the hand of the Lord and He turns him in the direction He pleases. Why is our current administration turning its back on our allies, especially the nation of Israel? I can tell you why... 

        ...It is because God is sovereign and doeth according to His will. God can and does use the sinfulness of man to accomplish His divine will. 

         Explain to me why a king from Persia (Artaxerxes)  even cared about Israel, Jerusalem or anything in it?  And yet, he sent his cupbearer (Nehemiah) and a scribe (Ezra) who were Jewish back to Jerusalem to repair and rebuild the city. Read the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Bible. I like what Ezra wrote... 

"Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:" (Ezra 7:27) 

        I fear for our nation. I am saddened by where I see it going. I am brokenhearted that our current administration is turning our nation against Israel. Our President has forgotten...or never really knew God's promise to Israel that He would bless those that blessed Israel and would curse those that cursed Israel (Genesis 27:29). Our nation is crumbling around us, but take heart! The same sovereign God who created all things is the same sovereign God who is working all things out after the counsel of His own will. 

"Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it." (Isaiah 46:9-11) 

        It is my responsibility to vote, and I do. I am responsible to keep informed and I am. Though I would love to see my United States of America repent and turn back to God and be a strong nation that follows hard after Him, I'm not going to hold my breath. I am not worried if our nation doesn't because I know Who ultimately is working everything out after the counsel of His will...God is. To complain about our administration is to complain about how God is carrying out His will which was decreed before Genesis 1:1 ...and none can stop Him or say unto Him, "What are you doing?!" 

My prayer for our country... "Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation. Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time? Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old." (Lamentations 5:19-21)       ..."nevertheless not my will, but thine be done ." 

To my children I say, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:6-7) 

...and, "Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength." (Isaiah 26:4).