This election season has been one of the most excruciating experiences for Evangelicals. So many Christians are exasperated by all the different things to think about before they walk into the voting booth. Smarter men than me have attempted to convince you to vote for, not vote for and to keep your opinions to yourself about which candidate to support this election cycle. Christians who hate abortion and want to see it end in their lifetime are rightfully distraught over the direction the supreme court seems to be going and we all see our religious freedoms departing as well.
My mind and heart are exhausted but there is enough in Scripture for our souls to be refreshed and reinvigorated.
Any time this world disappoints us our eyes should turn away from our situation and be fixed on the Lord. But more specifically, when our kingdom seems to be in shambles we must fix our eyes on a coming kingdom that is unsusceptible to human evil and error.
In Psalm 145:11-13, David, right in the middle of an incredible presentation of God’s greatness, goodness, and grace, spends three verses talking about God’s glorious kingdom that is coming.
He says,
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power;
To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts
And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
David of all people should know how fragile kingdoms are. Not only has he had enemies from outside his kingdom try to destroy him, but his own family. Whether it was the Philistines, or the Ammonites, or Adonijah and Absalom, he knew that his kingdom was temporary and privy to destruction. No one ran away from danger more than David, and he knew better than most that a kingdom could even be destroyed by his own wicked heart.
And in the middle of a Psalm that’s main focus is the worship of God, David spends three verses in absolute awe of God’s indestructible kingdom. Two thoughts seem to be at the forefront of his praise.
God’s kingdom will be everlasting. It cannot be taken away. No one has the power to overthrow the ruler of our eternal kingdom. There will be no death. Abortion will be finally nullified, murder will be impossible and it will be constant joy and pleasure for eternity.
David must have been so impressed with God’s power. He is capable of managing millions upon millions of souls forever. The unemployment rate will be zero and we’ll never be bored. We will all be eternally satisfied with our ruler and eternally subjected to Him. David couldn’t even keep his own kids under control and was always struggling to keep his throne, he was often at war and peace never seemed to last for more than a week. On the other hand, God’s kingdom is everlasting and he will dominate it for all generations.
God’s kingdom will be pure. His glory and His majesty emanate from his holiness. In Heaven, sin and sickness will be vanquished. God is so pure and so holy that he expects those who will spend eternity with him to be pure and blameless as well. He will make us holy and allow us to be with him forever. God has never done anything that is evil. He has never thought about doing something that is evil. No one in eternity past or in eternity future will be able to bring an accusation against God. There will be no secret tapes, nor emails that could be brought against the Lord. As David pondered about God’s kingdom the thought that the ruler had no sin, and those under his authority would not sin, was something that amazed him. David, on the other hand, had a wicked heart and those under him were disloyal, prideful and downright rebellious. David is in awe of God’s majesty and purity and his ability to purify the people who will spend eternity with him.
Disappointment in current events is inevitable. We hate evil and want to see it diminish in our lifetime. Right now it would seem as if it is only getting worse. A quick read of the book of Revelation would only make that sentiment more certain.
As David considered his state of affairs, it drove him to ponder the kingdom of God. This pondering drove him to his knees in praise and adoration of this truly amazing God. But David doesn’t stop there, he says that those who truly ponder about God’s coming kingdom will praise him. And those who praise him have to proclaim him to the World. He says, “They SHALL speak of your kingdom and power”.
As we consider our state of affairs in America we are all discouraged. We are disappointed and even ashamed in many ways.
Perhaps every election cycle people are tempted to feel discouraged. Perhaps this election, in particular, will be a powerful reminder for many of us that our hope is not in who sits in the oval office but in the One who sits on the throne in heaven.
While many people are disgusted with most of our politicians and disturbed with the direction our world is moving, we have an opportunity not only to take our eyes off of this life, and long for the coming kingdom, but as we do so we can and should declare to this dying, evil world that there is a kingdom coming that is far greater and far better than we could ever imagine. Whose Ruler is perfect and just, and will never disappoint. We must let them know that He will destroy those who are opposed to Him but he will keep all those who love him. (Psalm 145:20)
As we ponder about God’s kingdom, we should praise Him, and as we praise Him let us not keep it to ourselves but let’s proclaim from the rooftops that God is glorious and his kingdom is everlasting!
This article originally appeared on TheCrippleGate.com. Used with permission.
Jordan Standridge is a pastoral associate at Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, VA, where he leads the college ministry. He is also the founder of The Foundry Bible Immersion. You can find his personal blog at surrender.us.
Publication date: October 19, 2016
Image courtesy: Google/CNN.com