Ensign: Inauguration Day
All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign in the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isaiah 18:3
AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS 20 January 2017
Section 1. The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.
By the time you read this, Donald Trump will be the 45th President of the United States. I admit it's a little hard for me also to imagine the businessman and author of The Art of the Deal and former host of The Apprentice who's never held elected office before there, but I'm definitely supportive of and prayerful for him, as I truly had been for Barack Obama his predecessor. (Surprised? Show me where in the Bible it says that when you pray you should pray only for the people you like or agree with.) Whether I agree with our leadership or not on any level, it does not mean that I'm willing to act in rebellion against them unless they're willing to boldly act against God Himself.
Before he enters the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath of Affirmation: -- "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
(Article II, Section 1, Clause 8 -- or if we're Shakespearean, II.1.viii)
The beginning of the Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution started this message out -- the rest of the Amendment essentially deals with Congress opening in January (prior to its 1933 ratification, the new Congress like the new President began service on March 4th; it reduced the lag time) and provides for what happens if the President-elect -- I am SO glad I will not have to use that term for another four years! It grates on my ears. -- is unable to serve. We see printed above the Oath the President takes before he (so far, not she) assumes office. The Oath does not end with "so help me God", but so far every President I know of has used that phrase. Why?
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 above has come to my mind over the past several days. I first heard the verse at a youth evangelism conference I attended one summer during high school; now as I look at it written out, with my writer's brain I'm thinking I would not have put so many commas in it. But please recall your punctuation rules -- whenever you see a comma in writing, you're supposed to pause and however briefly give yourself time to think about what's being said. It's possible to see this verse as a list of steps, and it even starts with an assurance -- that we are God's people, no matter how near or far we are from Him. The verse doesn't start "If you are my people,"
for by God's act of creation, we already are.
Humble. Pray. Seek. Turn. There are four things we are called to do in this verse alone, but it's not only a matter of what we do for God, but also what He promises to do for us. Hear. Forgive. Heal. What you and I need this Inauguration Day and every day afterward is not just the high ideals but the willingness to act on them without thinking "it doesn't make a difference whether I do anything". It does to someone, and our Lord and our God has placed us at just the right place and in just the right time to make that difference in our corner of the world. And whatever considerations we allow to get in our way of serving others could get in their way of serving us. It's a cycle, either way.
Swear. (Or affirm.) Execute. Preserve. Protect. Defend.
Nobody who's been President of the United States can say it's an easy job. If they do, they're lying. Counterbalancing the interests and needs of three hundred plus million people (2015 figure: 321.42 million) and maintaining the relations of the United States with the rest of the world without going to either extreme -- that is, not being too conservative or too liberal -- is a job I can't imagine wanting. (Please see Article II of the Constitution for the full list.) But like every job, like every position of leadership you or I may be called to, it is impossible to do it without the grace of God ever-present within us. Regardless of how much lip service we pay or don't, this will not get done alone.
So help us God.
David
P.S. I will continue as long as God allows me to write this devotional to keep in touch with you, and I hope it encourages us too! If it's not or you want me to get lost, please let me know. Thanks!
Thank YOU, Lord, that we can come to You in prayer and that we can count on You to provide for our needs according to Your riches in glory, even when we don't know what our needs are. And we come to You in prayer for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence and all over the world.
Thank You as well, Lord, for everyone in leadership and service, in authority and power, both here and abroad. Thank You for the opportunities we have and the promise of new life through You by Your Son Our Brother, Jesus the Christ.
And I pray that we will all seek and have a blessed week! Amen.
AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS 20 January 2017
Section 1. The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.
By the time you read this, Donald Trump will be the 45th President of the United States. I admit it's a little hard for me also to imagine the businessman and author of The Art of the Deal and former host of The Apprentice who's never held elected office before there, but I'm definitely supportive of and prayerful for him, as I truly had been for Barack Obama his predecessor. (Surprised? Show me where in the Bible it says that when you pray you should pray only for the people you like or agree with.) Whether I agree with our leadership or not on any level, it does not mean that I'm willing to act in rebellion against them unless they're willing to boldly act against God Himself.
Before he enters the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath of Affirmation: -- "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
(Article II, Section 1, Clause 8 -- or if we're Shakespearean, II.1.viii)
The beginning of the Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution started this message out -- the rest of the Amendment essentially deals with Congress opening in January (prior to its 1933 ratification, the new Congress like the new President began service on March 4th; it reduced the lag time) and provides for what happens if the President-elect -- I am SO glad I will not have to use that term for another four years! It grates on my ears. -- is unable to serve. We see printed above the Oath the President takes before he (so far, not she) assumes office. The Oath does not end with "so help me God", but so far every President I know of has used that phrase. Why?
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 above has come to my mind over the past several days. I first heard the verse at a youth evangelism conference I attended one summer during high school; now as I look at it written out, with my writer's brain I'm thinking I would not have put so many commas in it. But please recall your punctuation rules -- whenever you see a comma in writing, you're supposed to pause and however briefly give yourself time to think about what's being said. It's possible to see this verse as a list of steps, and it even starts with an assurance -- that we are God's people, no matter how near or far we are from Him. The verse doesn't start "If you are my people,"
for by God's act of creation, we already are.
Humble. Pray. Seek. Turn. There are four things we are called to do in this verse alone, but it's not only a matter of what we do for God, but also what He promises to do for us. Hear. Forgive. Heal. What you and I need this Inauguration Day and every day afterward is not just the high ideals but the willingness to act on them without thinking "it doesn't make a difference whether I do anything". It does to someone, and our Lord and our God has placed us at just the right place and in just the right time to make that difference in our corner of the world. And whatever considerations we allow to get in our way of serving others could get in their way of serving us. It's a cycle, either way.
Swear. (Or affirm.) Execute. Preserve. Protect. Defend.
Nobody who's been President of the United States can say it's an easy job. If they do, they're lying. Counterbalancing the interests and needs of three hundred plus million people (2015 figure: 321.42 million) and maintaining the relations of the United States with the rest of the world without going to either extreme -- that is, not being too conservative or too liberal -- is a job I can't imagine wanting. (Please see Article II of the Constitution for the full list.) But like every job, like every position of leadership you or I may be called to, it is impossible to do it without the grace of God ever-present within us. Regardless of how much lip service we pay or don't, this will not get done alone.
So help us God.
David
P.S. I will continue as long as God allows me to write this devotional to keep in touch with you, and I hope it encourages us too! If it's not or you want me to get lost, please let me know. Thanks!
Thank YOU, Lord, that we can come to You in prayer and that we can count on You to provide for our needs according to Your riches in glory, even when we don't know what our needs are. And we come to You in prayer for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence and all over the world.
Thank You as well, Lord, for everyone in leadership and service, in authority and power, both here and abroad. Thank You for the opportunities we have and the promise of new life through You by Your Son Our Brother, Jesus the Christ.
And I pray that we will all seek and have a blessed week! Amen.
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