King of the world...

Well, today is the day America.

Today, after months of vile campaigning, we will decide who we want to be the leader of this nation. 

It has been a ridiculous few months. So many people I know have made comments that they cannot believe that as a nation we have narrowed it down to these two candidates. Now, I will not get into politics about who you should vote for or what your choice should be. This is not the place for that.

What I will say is I believe if you claim to be a follower of Christ Jesus it is your duty to pray, listen to the leading of the Lord, vote and pray some more. If you walk away from the polling station having voted not out of your own feelings but out of obedience to the Lord, then no matter what the outcome hold your head up. Obedience is all that is required today. (and really every other day as well)

This morning I had to chuckle. I always have a brief conversation with a particular friend early in the morning. Sometimes it simply consists of "Good morning" and then we go on with our day. This morning my eyes popped open and my heart was filled with joy over another new day. I went to write those words to my friend when suddenly, the sinking reality that this was Election Day hit me. So this was the text instead:

"I was just laying here thinking, isn't it exciting that we have another day to worship Jesus. Then I thought UGHHHHHHH today is election day...*insert the emoji with the wide eyes*...I'm so grateful that no matter who the president is, God is still the King of the world."

After a brief exchange on the subject, I set my phone down and grabbed my Bible. Once again I was overwhelmed by the amazing mercy of God.

I have been trudging my way through the Old Testament and today my reading was found in 1 Samuel. The first portion of the story I read was right after the Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant. They placed it into the temple of one of their gods, Dagon. Repeatedly, this idol toppled over in the presence of God. The second time they found it, its head and hands were disconnect from its body. Every city they tried to place the Ark in was overwhelmed by plagues and peoples lives were lost. They could not contain the power of our Holy God. Eventually, the Philistines gave up and gave the Ark back to Israel with offerings of gold to God. Even the Philistines recognized the power of God.

As I kept reading I came to the story about how the Israelites looked around at the other nations and longed to be like them, so they asked for a king.

Oh Israel.

Oh America.

Aren't we just like them? Putting our hope in a man (or woman) to guide us as a nation when what we really need is to fall on our faces, like that idol, and submit to the authority of a Holy King.

Just like Israel, we think that we, in our own power, can figure our way through the pitfalls pf this world. But no matter who we choose, if we continue to remove the Lord from the equation, we will fall.

On either side of the political coin, people are predicting aspects of our destruction as a nation.

I would counter that neither candidate is that powerful. 

Only the Lord will decide our fate.

Now, He may say enough is enough and use one of these leaders to hand us over to our enemies, but it will be a result of His authority and our lack of obedience and nothing more.

The first king to rule Israel was Saul. Saul was flawed to be sure, just like both of our candidates are, but for a long time the Lord was with Saul. He made a lot of mistakes but his fatal mistake was one that had happened time and again in the history of Israel. He did not follow the Lord's instructions. He thought he knew better and chose to go his own way. He let a root of sin remain that the Lord had said to destroy. It cost him the thrown and so much more.

As a nation we have stopped listening to the Lord. We cherish sin in our hearts. We glorify immorality. We spew hatred. We worship self and we are functioning on mercy and borrowed time. The Lord is HOLY and cannot, in His justice, allow sin to be glorified. We WILL, just like Dagon, fall on our faces and be broken before the Lord. Just like Saul we have ignored God and left the root of sin and God will not allow this to remain. He cannot. He is wholly holy.

Maybe it wont be today, or this election, but it is coming.

Sin cannot stand.

America, I beg you, whatever the result of this election, REPENT. 

Turn back to God. Fall on your face and pledge your obedience and allegiance not to a nation or a leader of mean but to a God of love, justice and mercy.

CHURCH, RISE UP! 

Stop being wishy washy, feel good and seeker friendly. We must stop filling our hearts up with everything but Jesus. Stop chasing culture and start standing against it.

GET ON YOUR FACES BEFORE THE LORD AND CRY OUT FOR MERCY.

He is worth it. 

As I sit here typing these words, I do so with tears streaming down my face. If we only really knew the God who is King of this world, we would have no choice but to adore Him.

Let me tell you about the God I know.

The God I know reached out to me, the most wretched of all sinners and pulled me up into His presence. He calls me His daughter and created me in His very likeness. He says that I am beautiful and fearfully and wonderfully made. He shows me mercy when I fail and grace for every sin. He lifts me up when I fall and has never given up on me. He loved me so much that He sent His Son to die in my place. He takes my sin and separates me from it, as far as the east is from the west. He is a healer, a comforter, the supplier of all needs and my friend.

I could go on for the rest of my life and NEVER even come close to scratching the surface of who God is. 

I believe that on the average, people choose not to follow God because He requires obedience and we like to have it our own way. Whether that desire for our own will comes from an atheist or a "nominal Christian" it is dangerous. I have tried doing things my own way, in my own strength and I'll be real, it sucks and it failed. The way that seems right to  men is the way of destruction. Why would we continue to follow that when we have the opportunity to walk in the victorious and powerful way of God?

The same God that parted the Red Sea and smashed the walls of Jericho wants to be the King of our hearts and the King of this world. All we have to do is LET HIM. It's so simple and yet so hard.

Here's the thing though...

We can bow now and start walking in the power and presence of God on this earth. 

or

We can bow later just before we are separated from that power for all eternity.

But we will bow.

We will worship the King of the world

At the very name of Jesus "Every knee WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory and praise of God the Father."

World, America, Church, Friends...Linda...worship the King.
Right now, today, trust Him, submit to Him, listen to His voice.
Right now.

Today is not a day of reckoning because of an election.

It is simply one day closer to standing before the King of the world and being asked.

"Did I know you?"

Don't put your hope in the rulers of this world, rest your hope where it belongs...

in the 

King of the WORLD.