2 posts tagged “proverbs”
I have issues.
I know, I know--that sounds bad. (Or maybe if you know me, you already knew that.) But I mean I have issues with politics. I have issues with Republicans. I have issues with the current president. I have issues with Democrats. And I have issues with the president elect.
You might say I'm hard to please. That's true.
In fact, of all the presidents to have served our great nation--and check out this fascinating campaign poster above, with thanks to Jonathan Horowitz--I can't think of one I would trust completely, or agree with completely.
Reason being, ultimately the only "citizen ruler" (which is what presidents are, from a federalist, constitutional, and historic point of view) that I trust and follow is Jesus. That's the significance of the "kingdom" part of this blog's title.
Jesus is, in fact, the ultimate citizen ruler. According to the Christian tradition, He who was God became man ("a citizen") in the Incarnation, and lived, died, and rose again in perfection and in my place. His resurrection was His inauguration into His "presidency," an office He will occupy until the End of Time. My faith in His administration brings me all the benefits which have accrued to Him as the Perfect Son of God.
This is the good news. And this is why, when it comes to other citizen rulers (ie. presidents) and other rulers in general (kings, prime ministers, generals, what have you), I take comfort in the knowledge that God is ultimately in charge.
As proof of this point, check out the ancient wisdom of Solomon--a king himself--when he wrote:
The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever He will.
Last night my children and I prayed for the president elect. We also prayed for his family. And the administration he will build. Our prayer, among other things, is that God--the King of Kings--would guide his heart like a farmer might guide a stream into his fields.
My children were eager to join me in this prayer. Won't you also?
As I've continued to grow in my spiritual understanding, I've discovered--or rediscovered--the importance of, and the power of--prayer. Here are some things that I've learned.
The Christian tradition teaches that prayer is a means by which God has determined to accomplish His will. But, there is great mystery here: an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-determining God has not only commanded human beings to pray, but has promised to act in response to prayer.
Rather than foray into this philosophical territory, however, most folks simply pray. This is probably as it ought to be. Not many of us are called to be philosophers.
St. Paul, no mean philosopher himself, was content in most cases to stand on this simple ground: "pray and wait for God to act." In many of his letters (which make up the bulk of the New Testament sacred texts) he asks for prayer.
In one famous example, which concludes his letter to the believers in ancient Greek city of Ephesus, he writes:
Paul says, "Pray for me." And what does he ask for? Interestingly, never known for his timidity, Paul asks for boldness. For courage. What does this teach us?
First, this teaches me that Gospel boldness is a gift from God. But that's not all. Notice that Paul asks that "words may be given to me." This echoes Jesus' promise in Matthew where he encourages His disciples that they will have the necessary thing to say, and that they shouldn't worry when they are hauled into court for their faith.
Words are gifts. So are ears and eyes. I also read earlier this week in Proverbs that the "hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both" (Prov. 20:12).
Here then is the mystery, in short: God knows and commands all things. He has determined to act in response to our prayers. And thus when He provides for our needs, in this case, both speaking and hearing, He is shown to be the "giver of every good and perfect gift."
What an amazing God!
As you pray, pray
for my hearers (those who listen) and see-ers (those who read and see
my materials) will be given eyes to see God's good work!
