Bitter for Sweet
.
Isaiah 5:20,21 NIV
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
I am pretty blown away as I read these verses. As you know I haven’t been posting devotions with any regularity for some time. Some of the reasons are obvious – a new job that begins at 7 am (yikes!), and some other family life situations. Other reasons are not as obvious – a type of spiritual readjustment. I’ve been in a limbo type state for several months, as if I had lost my direction spiritually. I’m beginning to feel as if I’m back on track. This is thanks almost completely to my best friend, who has not relented in her asking me the “hard” questions about my spiritual life and my husband who listens endlessly to my ramblings and is able to support me, usually by his silence, without fail. God has blessed me, indeed!
Anyway, I’m blown away because I have been researching and writing about the 2008 Presidential candidates. I’ve also watched with growing concern and dismay at the choices the American people will apparently have in the upcoming election. Actually, not much choice is involved! Those who might actually be candidates who most closely line up philosophically and politically with my vision don’t have a chance – even I recognize that. Most of the mainstream candidates have already begun to falter. They are becoming more moderate in their statements. They are beginning to position themselves to become “the candidate of choice” by their party.
I am realistic enough to understand why all this goes on. I really have figured out that in politics, as in all other arenas in our lives, we are required to settle for “the best we can get” instead of the demanding the best. Lately I’ve refused to do that. I’m just really tired of people being less than forthright. I want to say I’m disillusioned, but that happened a long time ago. What’s different now is that I’m taking a stand. I am making my yes mean yes and my no mean no. [James 5:12].
That might sound a bit scary. That’s why I struggled so long and hard with the decision. It is. But having made the decision, and really live into it, it’s become the only option. He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? [Micah 6:8] God requires us to walk humbly with Him. He requires it of me as a regular old person living in the suburbs of a large metropolitan area in the United States. He requires it of our elected officials. He especially requires it of our President.
Life is less complicated when we speak the truth, keep our promises, and refuse to settle for less. What happens is that we begin to hold ourselves up to this mirror of being created in God’s image. That makes us very humble. I won’t judge the heart of any of the candidates running for President. I will judge their words, though. I will judge their past voting record and I will judge how much they change their positions on some of the “hot” issues. In fact, I’ll judge them based on what they define as the most important issues
Beyond that, I have a great deal of work to do on myself. I’m going to vote for the candidate who ends up making me feel the least like a sell-out. That’s what it’s come to right now. I’m also going to begin praying about and seeking out ways I can make a difference in the politics of America. Don’t worry I’m not going to run for any offices! I’m just going to see if there’s anyone out there I feel I can support and campaign for in the next presidential election and in upcoming local elections.
My prayer today is that you walk humbly with your God. And that you always call evil evil, and good good.
Mary
Labels: election, evil, good, president
The War is Real. The Victory is Certain
Psalm 42:1-2
1. [For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah]. As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for Thee, O God. 2. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?
This passage pretty aptly defines my own longing for God and the only solution I have found to remain positive and quiet within myself. In this case, David is feeling alone and adrift, assailed by enemies, both verbally and physically. Actually David spent a great deal of his life running from the enemy, fighting the enemy and/or dealing with the aftermath of confronting the enemy. While most of us don’t wage war against our enemies in the physical world, we are in a battle each every day.
The war is real. Evil exists and is thriving and it has since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and Cain murdered Abel. If you doubt we fight a war against the evil one think about how often in any day you participate in gossip, tell a lie, curse a driver who cuts you off or do something your boss has instructed you to do, even though you know it’s unethical. If more convincing is required, listen to the news tonight and then sit and watch the prime time television programming until you fall asleep.
Still more convincing may be necessary. Explain that feeling of disquiet and sense of being unsettled in your soul. Can you figure why you’re just plain angry at the world and everyone in it, especially those in your life – your family, friends (if you have any), coworkers – the world! Why are you so sad so often? Why do you have indigestion, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue? Why are just plain unable to get up and go out into the world with your confidence intact and your heart on your sleeve?
The answer to our life problems is not found in a gym, on the golf course, at the water cooler at work, on the internet, through homeopathic medicine, astrology or alternative anything. There is one answer, and only one. David knew that: As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for Thee, O God. He has suffered an astounding defeat prior to writing these words. Yet another of the many earthly wars he fought ended in defeat and he was beyond discouraged.
Life is hard. If we allow that truth to rule us, we will spend our lives very sad and alone and lost. God is good. We long for Him, yet we seek out everything else. I use both the editorial “we” as well as the all-inclusive (meaning I’m included) “we.” Life is hard but God is good. Long for him; thirst for him; run to him. Rest in Him. David looked around the battlefield and surely crumpled into a heap on the ground. He surveyed the unspeakable loss of life and certainly had to felt defeated and alone; as if he had let down his people and failed to be the kind of leader he wanted to be. Probably he was bewildered at the defeat because he was God’s warrior.
He didn’t retreat in anger and bitterness, though. He offered up his defeat to God. He recommitted his life to God. Life is hard. God is good. David longed for him. He opened his parched lips, prostrated himself and called out to his God.
My prayer today is that no matter what battle you are fighting against the evil in the world, you will remember that God is always victorious. And that you call out to God, running to Him with all your strength and speed, for the days are evil.
Mary
Labels: angry, evil, God, health, life, sin, war
