Ashamed

 Ashamed
Recently, I have been very concerned and upset with the candidates running for the Presidency of the United States of America. I have clashed heads with my friends because I find one candidate more repulsive than the other. I have wasted time sharing my views that have been turned aside by the concerns of the world and not focused on prayer.
I know that God is in control and whether or not I like it, He will choose the next President of America. God has raised up rulers and removed them. He has raised up countries and has laid waste to them. Proverbs 8:15 says, “By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.”
In Daniel 2:21 the Bible says, “And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:”
Israel, God’s choosen people wanted a king like the pagan nations around them. God granted their wishes, gave them a king, and the Jews have struggled with the men God allowed to ascend the throne to rule over them. He sent them into captivity when the king turned the Jews’ hearts toward evil and away from worshipping Him.
All throughout the Word of God, the LORD shows the reasons for placing some rulers or keeping rulers in office. Sometimes it is to bless those who call on His name and sometimes it is to punish those who have Ignored Him. My time and energy has been focused on something that I in my own strength I can’t change. I have been ignoring my responsibility of praying for God’s will to be done and ignored sharing with my friends and neighbors, the need to have an intimate knowledge with the Lord Jesus Christ. I need to share God’s mission to show His love by sending His Son to earth to carry each of our sins to the cross and to bear the pain and agony of the punishment for the sins we’ve committed.
Let this be my message to you, if I am less vocal and seemingly less concerned with the outcome of the election, it will be true; it will be replaced with concern about and prayers for my friends.