November 7, 2012

Did God Put Barack Obama in the White House?

Many Christians are disappointed in the outcome of the recent Presidential election in which Barack Obama was reelected for another four year term. But despite their disappointment, many have concluded that it must have been God’s will for the President to be reelected. They believe that the Lord must have some plan and a reason why He put Barack Obama back in the White House. The passage often cited by those who speak this way is in Daniel.

“This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men” (Daniel 4:17, NKJV).

However, it is important to note that the time in which Daniel prophesied was different than the time in which we live. While God had a direct hand in raising rulers and overthrowing governments in the time of Daniel, we should not immediately conclude that He is working in the same way today. I wrote about this in a previous article. For the sake of time, I will quote from a portion of that article here:
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August 8, 2012

They Do Not Say, "Let Us Now Fear the Lord" (8/8)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Jeremiah 4-6.

“But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and departed. They do not say in their heart, ‘Let us now fear the Lord our God, who gives rain in its season, both the autumn rain and the spring rain, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of the harvest’” (Jeremiah 5:23-24).

As Jeremiah warned the people of the coming judgment from God, they were uninterested and saw no need to repent. They wanted to go their own way, so they departed from the Lord. They did not fear divine punishment for their actions.
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June 15, 2012

He Established Them Forever (6/15)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Psalm 134, 146-150.

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, and the waters that are above the heavens!

“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created. He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree which will not pass away” (Psalm 148:1-6).

There are many reasons to praise the Lord. The passage above addresses two – His work in creation and His providence.
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May 12, 2012

God Visits the Earth and Causes It to Overflow (5/12)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Psalm 65-67, 69-70.

In this psalm of praise, David mentions God’s providence as one of the reasons why He is to be honored.

“You visit the earth and cause it to overflow; You greatly enrich it; the stream of God is full of water; You prepare their grain, for thus You prepare the earth. You water its furrows abundantly, You settle its ridges, You soften it with showers, You bless its growth. You have crowned the year with Your bounty, and Your paths drip with fatness. The pastures of the wilderness drip, and the hills gird themselves with rejoicing. The meadows are clothed with flocks and the valleys are covered with grain; they shout for joy, yes they sing” (Psalm 65:9-13).

In the beginning, God established the natural laws that govern the world in which we live. The fact that we have rains, streams, harvests, and flocks is a testament to God’s power, love, and wisdom.

At the end of His creation, “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). This is still true today and will continue to be true as long as this earth stands. God, by His providence, will continue to provide for us. Praise Him for that!

Tomorrow’s reading: 2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Chronicles 20

[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]

Daily Notes & Observations contains all 365 articles from this series and is available in paperback from Gospel Armory.

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April 17, 2012

"The Lord Will Repay Each Man For His Righteousness" (4/17)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 1 Samuel 25-27.

As Saul pursued David, David had several opportunities to kill the king and save himself. Yet each time, David refused to kill Saul. Notice his explanation why on this occasion:

“The Lord will repay each man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I refused to stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. Now behold, as your life was highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the Lord, and may He deliver me from all distress” (1 Samuel 26:23-24).

David’s trust and faith were in the Lord. Therefore, he was looking to Him for deliverance from his enemies and the threat that existed from the king.
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February 28, 2012

"We Used to Eat Free in Egypt" (2/28)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Numbers 11-13.

“The rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, ‘Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna’” (Numbers 11:4-6).

The complaints of the children of Israel were a frequent occurrence in the wilderness. It is amazing that those who had seen the power of God first-hand would so quickly lose faith in Him.

Yet we see something about human nature here. Many people want someone to regularly provide for them, even if there are strings attached. They want consistency in their lives, even if their circumstances are not ideal. They do not desire true freedom, for this requires contentment, diligence, personal responsibility, and a trust in the providence of God.
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January 27, 2012

"God Sent Me Before You" (1/27)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Genesis 43-45.

When Joseph finally revealed himself to his brothers, he did not lash out at them for what they had done. Instead, he told them that God was working through these circumstances to bring about good.

“Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Please come closer to me.’ And they came closer. And he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life’” (Genesis 45:4-5).

God preserved the family of Jacob on account of the promise He gave to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). This was not just for the benefit of Joseph and his brothers, but it was so that this people and Abraham’s lineage would be preserved. This was part of preparing the way for Christ – the one through whom God’s “eternal purpose” was “carried out” (Ephesians 3:11).
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