The 24/7 news cycle will stress you out, particularly when they cover national and international politics. This blog used to be fueled by the anger I had when I watched the news. I was posting five times a week. The best thing I ever did was turn off the TV.
You see, the world will always be in turmoil until Jesus comes back. We fear war and rightly so. The news tells us of madmen in power struggles that lead countries with nuclear weapons.
Empires rise and fall, yet one remains. I was reading Isaiah chapters 40 to 55 straight through and some verses stuck out to me. They describe God in contrast to the nations of the world.
God>The World’s Nations
Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.
Isaiah 40:17
The nations you fear aren’t even a blip on God’s radar. Flipped around, it’s a warning against having unnecessary pride in your own country, people, or heritage. I’m not an American Christian; I’m a Christian who’s an American.
He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
Isaiah 40:23-24
Empires fall. Leaders are evicted or die. “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28
God’s Plans>The World’s Plans
Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’
Isaiah 46:9-10
Our plans don’t always work out. His does. He’s the King of kings and Lord of lords. None can topple or
overthrow Him, but a president only has 8 years, a prime minister a set number of years, and a dictator however many years he’s allowed to live.
Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:6-9
This is what we can do, turn to Him. He’s far greater than me, you, any person or nation. The choice is yours.
A Ronin's Journey 