Gò0dNews for Everyone
Red or Blue
S
by Brian Johnson
o, how do you feel about politics? I know, horrible
turneth it withersoever he will.” So, whichever direction the
subject to bring up but I’d like to talk about it.
country is going, God is the one steering.
I’ve found a lot of people are frustrated with our
“…the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of
politicians. They’re taking our rights
Persia” to rebuild the temple in
away, they’re involved too much,
Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1). Kings Artaxerxes
they’re not involved enough. Even
and Darius were also involved
Christians are on both sides of the
in that rebuild. Artaxerxes also
spectrum. How about we discuss this
allowed Nehemiah to rebuild the
from a biblical perspective.
walls of Jerusalem. All of them were
First, we should be respectful of
Kings of Persia, not Israel or Judah.
whomever is in power. Romans 13:1
Nebuchadnezzar was responsible
says, “Let every soul be subject unto
for the exile of the children of Israel
the higher powers. For there is no
to Babylon, but God refers to him as
power but of God: the powers that be
his servant three times in the book of
are ordained of God.” Nero was in
Jeremiah. We can’t allow society to
power in Rome when Paul wrote this,
determine whether God’s will is being
and I don’t think anyone in America
done through those in power. Good or
compares to the evil that was Nero.
bad, God is still in control.
If Paul can write that about him, then
Let that be comforting to you. I
surely, we can recognize that the
know our leaders can be frustrating
powers here and now are ordained of
but the direction we’re going is the
God, and they should be respected.
direction God is allowing. We’re in the
I Timothy 2:1 lists several types of
last days and the Bible says that they’d
prayer and says we should pray “for
be like the days of Noah where “…
all men.” Verse 2 gets more specific,
every imagination of the thoughts of his
“For kings, and for all that are in
heart was only evil continually” (Gen.
authority…” So, we should be praying
6:5 “his” is speaking of the people, not
for those that are in power as well.
Noah), so we shouldn’t be surprised.
A far cry from speaking badly about
Instead of living in frustration,
them because they aren’t running
recognize that our time is short, and
things exactly how we’d like.
we should focus on winning people to
I believe our expectations are
Christ. When we fight amongst each
mixed up. We assume if America
other it doesn’t bring people towards
is going away from God, we’ve got
Christ, it pushes them away.
individual out of power that’s causing it, but we forget that God is always in control. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he
28 // February 2022
About The Author
to do everything we can to get that Brian Edward Johnson is a deacon at his church and a nurse by vocation. He wants to do the best he can to teach people to trust God, for their eternity and for each day.
