You will know that I am the Lord, O people of Israel, when I have honored my name by treating you mercifully in spite of your wickedness. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken! (Ezekiel 20:44)
Read: Ezekiel 20:1-49, Hebrews 9:11-28, Psalm 107:1-43, Proverbs 27:11
Relate: As I sit down to my computer and begin to write this the presidential election in America is drawing to a close. Although the winner has not yet been called, I fully expect that before I click that blue “Publish” button it will be decided. Even now it is obvious who will win. I have to admit, my first thought for a title for today’s blog was to use the exact same one as yesterday. Is it kosher to title two straight devotionals: “When Disaster Strikes”?
I do not like the man who is about to take office. I do not even respect him. I know what it is like to live in a land where an unhinged megalomaniac holds the reigns of power. Do I think things in America will become as bad as they are here? No. Not a chance. I do believe, however, that God is in a sense saying to America, “You’ve made your bed.. now sleep in it.” Before anybody thinks I am being partisan and/or alarmist please understand, even if this election was going the other way, I believe I could write these exact same two paragraphs and mean them with the same amount of sincerity and truth.
I don’t blame the political process or the machinations of the DNC and RNC for this horrible choice we were offered. I do not blame the media for giving legitimacy for such farces. I don’t blame wikileaks or the illuminati or… well, really anything. This presidential election has been a two year long media circus that all of us, myself included, are responsible. We have had far too much time and plenty of opportunities to create for ourselves a different outcome. We complain how childish and petty these debates have seemed to become but are they really any better than the overabundance of petty and childish bickering and debate on social media that all of us, myself included, have participated in? We have fashioned leaders in our own image. We made the bed… now it is time to sleep in it.
React: In Ezekiel 20 God speaks to the leaders of Israel who are stuck between a rock and a hard place and says in essence, “Don’t expect any help from me.” He then goes further to say why: I promised that I would be your God and deliver you from Egypt (5) but you rebelled against me (8). I didn’t give them what they deserved but chose to protect the honor of my Name (9) but still they rebelled against me (13). Still, for the sake of the world I held back the judgment they deserved (14) and then even their children rebelled against me (21). So finally, I left them to their devices (26).
From verse 27 right through to 44 God is basically telling them that the judgment and destruction that has come was really something they have asked for. Over and over again He showed them that there was a better way but they didn’t want it. Finally, He is allowing them to experience the consequences of their desires so that they might come to their senses and return to Him. I hear over and over again things along the lines of “whoever gets into office is the exact person God wants to be there.” Yes and no. Think about it. God doesn’t want any to perish but all to come to repentance and yet there are some that will perish and not repent. God does not want me to sin and yet, I do so far too often. Ezekiel 20 demonstrates that what is true on an individual basis is also true on a collective one. What God desires good for a people, but He will not always override their will to accomplish it. Is Trump God’s will for America in 2016? Yes, only through the fact that God desires us to exercise our free will and make choices… even dumb ones. I believe God is saying now to America the same thing He was saying to Israel in Ezekiel 20: “You made the bed, now sleep in it.” We can only pray that as we experience the consequences of our poor choices that it will lead us to return to Him. Let us now beg God to honor His name and show us mercy in spite of our wickedness.
Respond:
Dear God,
First and foremost, I pray for the man you have allowed to become the leader of the most powerful nation in the world. I pray that as the weight of responsibility begins to settle on him that he would realize how dependant he must be on You to govern well. I pray blessing on him. Give him wisdom to do what is right in the days ahead. I pray mercy and blessing for America. God, please honor Your name by using somehow this circus of evil that was this past election cycle to shock people to their senses and return to You. Give us mercy that You might be glorified.
Amen
THE RIVER WALK 
I can’t give up yet
In tears, thank you for these words and God Bless you and be with you.
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Guuuuys. Just know that my like does not mean I like what is happening. 😥
Amen!! Thanks for sharing this.. Powerful message
What is reality is God’s people in America are not speaking out against evil, so judgment is going to come eventually.
What is also true is God’s Word so I scratch my head when I see christians getting confused or shocked that things are getting progressively worse.
I have too wonder, how many religious people that speak out are actually born again believers in the Mesiah spoken about in the bible and why we as believers are speaking out against evil and comforting those around us with the truth.
Ultimately God is directing the events on earth according to His Devine Will, whether we choose to obey is up to us.
Remember, the tares are being permitted to grow with the wheat.
Amen!!
Well said.
Amen
So well said. Thank you for writing this today.
Joining you in prayer that current events will help to start a great return to God.
Our true citizenship is in heaven and our allegiance is to Jesus.
Beejai,
I wrote a similar blog this morning! “Judgment Passed Upon Us” using Jeremiah as a foundation. I’m simply praying that God will hear us, for we know–there are times when He tells us not to pray for He will not hear us. I also expected this end, but I had hoped Americans were smarter. I have an unction in my spirit that not all we see is the reality of the situation; there was much manipulation to get to this end and I also pray it will be revealed. Don’t know if that will change things, but shouts of the election being rigged started over a month ago and I have since recognized how he projects things about others that actually pertain to him. But America when discover–the hard way–what they have done.
Thank you for framing my feelings so eloquently. I proudly voted for neither…I just couldn’t. Was that weaseling out? Possibly. I’m fatigued with sadness this morning, but as I wrote on Facebook this morning, I was going to be sad regardless of the outcome.
Thank you so much. I was feeling very depressed seeing the results of this election. I will stand with you in prayer.
Angel E. Eggerson “For with God, nothing will be impossible.” Sent from my iPhone
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Amen. Well said. And thank you for the prayer. We will need it.
The Lord never closes a door without opening a window. A TRUE Christian NEVER loses hope!
Standing with you and all my brothers and sisters in Christ over in the States in prayer for their new president. All we can do is pray!
When Lot and His family were rescued from the destruction of Sodom there were instructed not to look back upon God’s judgement. We are never to revel in what God has ordained as judgement, yet here you are not only doing just that but presupposing that it is in fact God’s judgement. You have pointed your finger at an entire nation and said, ‘you get what you deserve.” This is how a minister rightly divides the Word of Truth? You are in error of misinterpreting the scriptures and I find your content increasingly pretentious and sanctimonious. I used to re-post your content on my blog to help give you more exposure but I cannot do that anymore.
These last couple months have been a huge drain on my time as I have been busy with a move and a large upsurge in my local work with refugees. A large majority of what I posted in September and October have actually been edited reposts from other years. I am sorry that you feel as though my quality has dropped. A fresh word is almost always better. Hopefully my situation has stabilized here in Turkey enough that I will once again be able to devote the time needed to give my best here.
I am also sorry that you did not like this last post. If you believe I am reveling in what has happened, I have done a horrible job stating my position and I apologize. My thrust was that this is not God’s will, but I pray that He uses it to draw us back to Him.
If you actually do believe that this past year of electioneering and the way all of us have handled it has been wholesome, uplifting and God honoring then I really don’t know what to say to you. I really just… don’t.
We will all continue to prayer for our world leaders and peace along with those in need and spiritually seeking.
Every day I pray and give thanks to God for again placing me exactly where I need to be in life. Fully accepting and believing this entails that it must extend to all. And as a result, I need to respond with love and compassion, my work is not to be judge. Thanks for rightly pointing out that God can, does and will leave us to the consequences of our actions but will not abandon us; it is our job to respond to this message of love.
He may not be the perfect person for the job of running a nation. The only perfect is God. But the alternate choice wanted to be able to kill babies up to the day before birth. She also stated that Christians need to change their way of thinking. To just look at person and vote would in my opinion not have been right. Vote for the platform that held as close as possible the values they represented. So we will continue to pray for Gods will in our country as well as the whole world.
I have to agree.
How many far better choices did we have in the primaries? Even on Tuesday most nearly every state had at least three choices and a wrte in is always possble everywhere. Chosing the lesser of two evils is still chosing evil.
This is very true. We have led ourselves into this. And God is showing us what happens when we reject him and his laws: there is no end to our wickedness.
Reblogged this on Out crawls Angy.. and commented:
Something I wanted to share..
Reblogged this on saywhatumean2say and commented:
Don’t really believe in god or his? answering your prayers but I do believe in Truth, Justice, (and the American Way) Almost had a fit typing that.
I have my Catz and “HE” & they will help me and if “WE” go down the tubes…even farther than we already have. Well…”WE” the people voted. Sorry about the god thing but I’m glad you feel held and secure. For now; I’m just sort ‘o sad but tomorrow is another day and I’m not dead yet. ~~dru~~
Reblogged this on ChristianBlessings and commented:
PRAISE THE LORD HE KNOWS WHAT IS AHEAD – He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him DANIEL 2:21,22
God is ultimately sovereign and does not just passively watch everything happening. I believe what we need to keep praying.
I basically like your point of view, because I have come to believe there are no Democrat Christians…on two issues, Life and Justice. Liberalism has the wrong idea of freedom. You are obviously a bible-believing individual, and committed to doing God’s will. Thank you so much for your redeeming service in the name of the Lord. . .Hillary lost the election. She is pro-death, and she sides with rights more than balancing it with duty. Her whole campaign spoke to giving our youth free education and health care which our economy cannot pay for. The real plus with a Trump administration is aligning with Israel. God will bless the nation that openly blesses Israel. Economy, security, and true freedom to honor our Creator with obedience — our duty to serve Him thru Christ and his church. Our nation can be healed now that our Republican Party has majority. I do feel badly that your generation doesn’t understand how wrong the Democrats have become thinking being liberal, or humanist (rejecting faith in God as biblically sound) is their right. That only opens the door for Fascism and Communism … really. 🙂
Wow, I saw Trump winning as a David and Goliath moment. God had to take a brash, loud mouth billionaire to beat the Goliath the democrat machine has created. Move on dot org (don’t want to put that link in here) claims THEY got Obama elected. Hillary has been so speechless because she thought they would win it for her. There was so much proof she was “cheating” in the debates and the media was tooting her horn and demonizing Trump. I thought Mitt Romney was about as “pure” of a candidate as we could have had, but he was beat….so it took someone who would stand up to this machine. Mitt was “too nice” and didn’t call out the crooks and rigged media/polls.
I agree with dlafleur – it’s about life!!!!
So touchy!
You said it just fine. The whole world is groaning.
I’m looking and ready for Jesus to come on down anytime. I got my lamp and oil.
Well said!
Daniel 2:31-45 offers hope that soon all of these governments will be brought to an end and we will finally be ruled by someone that is righteous, just and loving. Focusing on that and doing God’s will of preaching and making disciples helps me to cope and will strengthen me so I can deal with what’s ahead.