Minister of Reconciliation

“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.” Daniel 2:21-22.

I am always amazed at the timing and understanding of God’s messages. Last night I went to bed with a heavy heart for the state of our country. I very rarely write about anything regarding politics because this country has lost sight of one’s right to express themselves, support and communicate their own beliefs in a respectful manner. I am speaking about both sides and it wasn’t any clearer than yesterday’s partisan vote on impeachment from both sides of the aisle. There were two lone representatives who went against the battle cry of their party. Don’t get me wrong; my adoration of those two people has nothing to do with how I have feel about either party. It has to do with the courage it took to flow upstream against the volatile rage of both parties. Both parties with righteous indignation voting as a group, when authentic decisions should have produced a mixed bag of votes on each side. But before I judge our country too strictly I must step back, take a breath and remember that division and war has been part of this earth since the beginning of time.

I was encouraged this morning by God as He reminded me with our passage that leadership across the world is assigned by God alone. He determines what the times of political and social needs require. He has been choosing leaders, apart from man’s approval, from Genesis to Revelation. For thousands of years, people have thrown their voices behind good leaders, great leaders, unreasonable leaders, poor leaders and deceitful leaders. And for thousands of years, God has brought good out of all situations. This morning as I turned the page on yesterday’s events, I discovered a beautiful reminder on today’s page of my Bible Study. Lysa TerKeurst who published this study earlier this year writes, ‘It’s in moments like this where we can start to wonder how God could ever bring good from such division.’ Trustworthy, p. 62. She goes on to quote Charles Spurgeon, ‘Notice also, dear friends, that God is in events which are produced by the sin and the stupidity of men. This breaking up of the kingdom of Solomon into two parts was the result of Solomon’s sin and Rehoboam’s folly; yet God was in it: ‘This thing is from me, saith the Lord.’ God had nothing to do with the sin or the folly, but in some way which we can never explain, in a mysterious way in which we are to believe without hesitation, God was in it all.’

So, whether we are happy or sad this morning following the events of yesterday, there were no winners or losers. Rather a watching nation with little control over the circumstances witnessing an all sovereign God moving things along in His perfect plan and His perfect way. God is the ultimate Minister of Reconciliation of all division. We can count on Him to shift things that need shifting and bring about good from every single circumstance. He is sitting on His throne orchestrating the things of this world in His perfect order regardless of how we feel. He knows the darkness that has yet to be uncovered, and He is well aware of the Light that He brings to a dark world.

“God was in it all.’