Author: John Page 89 of 163

Ezekiel 34:7-8 “Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock”

As we creep up to election day, where we come face-to-face with the right and the responsibility to elect leaders at all levels, may we never forget that leadership matters.  May we never forget that leaders matter.  Voting provides the culmination of this right and this responsibility.  We should have been actively involved in the process all along, but now it is time to formally make our mark to define our future.

Without a shepherd, we are vulnerable in our neighborhoods, in our communities, in our schools, in our workplaces, in our states, and in our nation.  Without the right kind of shepherds, we are vulnerable in the same.  We become prey in an anarchic world system.  We become meat to every beast of the field.

We must choose our shepherds wisely.  They must be honest.  They must be honorable.  They must be value-laced.  They must be courageous.  They must be inspiring.

They must be selfless!  The wrong kind of shepherds feed themselves instead of the flock.  They consume the resources, and the attention, and the energy of the government to feed their own lusts.  In doing so, they create seams of vulnerability, insecurity, and immorality that will be exploited by our adversaries and our Adversary.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD CHOOSE OUR LEADERS WISELY.  Choose well America, and pray even harder!

SET YOUR ALARM:  If you’re alarmed (that American Christians are losing their moral authority), set your alarm (to pray for our nation)!

Psalm 9:17 “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

Psalm 9:10 “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee:  for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”

When we get complacent or disinterested in the election, we must remember these two verses as well.  Nations face the consequences of their actions and their decisions.  Those nations that seek Him will not be forsaken.  Those who forget God will face derision and destruction.  There could not be any starker contrast than that.

Our votes determine which type of nation we will be.  Do we vote in a way that uplifts Godly principle?  If so, then we will become a nation known for being principled.  Do we vote in a way that neglects the will of God?  If so, then we will become a nation that is neglected by God.  Thus, elections matter because they reveal our nation’s heart.  Your votes matter because they reveal your heart.

PLEASE REVEAL YOUR HEART THROUGH YOUR VOTES, AND HELP SHAPE OUR NATION’S HEART THROUGH THE SAME.  Let us seek God and never forget Him!

Daniel 2:20-22 “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:  he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:  He revealeth the deep and secret things:  he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.”

When we get fatalistic and pessimistic about the upcoming election, our thoughts should snap back to these verses in Daniel.  God is in control!  Blessed be His name for ever and ever.

Wisdom and might are His, and He offers them to others at His pleasure.  He changes the times and the seasons at His will.  He knows all secrets, and reveals them at His timing.  He sets up and removes kings.

We may not be thrilled with our current leaders or our future choices.  Fear not, God is still in control.

PLEASE BLESS THE NAME OF GOD REGARDLESS OF OUR ATTITUDE ABOUT OUR NATIONAL DIRECTION.  God is still setting up and removing our leaders as He sees fit.

I Samuel 17:51-52 “Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith.  And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.  And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron.  And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.”

There is another reason when you should stay faithful, even when you don’t think you can make a difference (see previous post) – the power of the breakthrough.  Nothing illustrates this point better than the story of Roger Bannister.

In the mid-1950s, the track and field world was awash with interest in breaking the four-minute-mile.  It had never been done, and some were thinking that it could never be done.  After all, the world records had been within three seconds of the notable milestone since 1943, and kept creeping ever closer to the four-minute mark in the intervening decade.  Yet, no one could break that magical barrier.  Even though several men in 1953 and early 1954 were running within a few seconds of the mark, no one could surpass the challenge … until May 6, 1954.

On that day in Oxford, England, Roger Bannister ran a mile in just under four minutes.  It could be done!  Sure enough, 46 days later, Bannister’s record was broken.  By 1958, the record had decreased to below three minutes and fifty-five seconds.  At that point, sub-four-minute-miles had become the standard in the world of track and field.

Roger Bannister’s breakthrough motivated others who were then aware that it was possible to do what was once thought of as impossible.  David’s breakthrough against Goliath did the same.  Similarly, a single breakthrough by us can do the same in our land.

PLEASE PRAY THAT OUR SINGULAR SUCCESSES WOULD MOTIVATE OTHERS.  We may provide the breakthrough that could cause a flood of follow-on victories in America.

Proverbs 28:2 “For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof:  but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.”

Going into the immediate election season, it is easy to fall into the thought trap that a single person cannot make a difference.  In a land of millions of people, what can one man or one woman do?  How much will one vote count?  How can one person sway the massive ship of state?

There are at least two things that we must remember when we start to slip into this line of thinking.  First, we are to do our duty regardless of the outcome.  Life is filled with situations where the results are left up to God.  Our role is to be faithful, regardless of the situation, context, obstacles, or perceived benefits.  Second, we never know when we are in a situation when one person does make a difference, when one man or one woman will have disproportionate results, when one vote tips the election, when one person sways the massive ship of state.  The potentiality of that situation in our next encounter demands that we act as if we are the decisive factor.

PLEASE DO YOUR CHRISTIAN DUTY AS IF THE RESULTS HINGE ON YOUR FAITHFULNESS.  You never know when we are in a situation when a single man of understanding and knowledge will prolong our state.  You may be that single man today.