Uncertain Timesਨਮੂਨਾ

The Only Leader That Matters

You will have many political leaders in your lifetime.

Some you will like, and some you will not. Some you may even love, and some you might hate.

Some may be righteous and others unrighteous. Some may be kind to Christians and others not. Some may pursue the common good and others only for themselves. Some will have integrity and others will be corrupt.

Read your Bible, and you will see that this is nothing new.

And as we have seen this week, we have very little control over any of it.

If we live in a democracy, we can vote, and if we are unhappy, we can protest and peacefully resist injustice when we see it.

But beyond prayer, most of us don’t have much influence over who gets elected or what they do once they get there.

Jesus lived in a time of truly corrupt leaders, and it didn’t bother Him in the slightest.

He lived under the brutal Roman governor Pilate, who would condemn Him to death. He also lived under the nominal Jewish leader Herod, who was far from righteous. Also, the Jewish religious leaders were corrupt and far from God.

Jesus had no problem calling out corruption when He saw it (e.g., Matthew 23:13-29). But beyond that, He didn’t pay the leaders over Him much attention.

Why?

He was too busy with His Father’s business (Luke 2:49).

The Kingdom of Heaven required His full attention, and nothing was left over for earthly kingdoms and their leaders and problems.

He was so focused on God’s Kingdom and fulfilling His will that it consumed His time and heart, with no room left for other things.

And, of course, He knew who He was—highlighted in our key passage from Revelation today.

Pilate and Herod and the religious leaders may have been “in charge” on earth, but they weren’t ultimately in charge at all.

There was a King above all kings and a Lord above all lords, and He was the only one who actually mattered.

Whatever you feel about your current political landscape and any anxiety that may accompany it, these leaders are only there because God has ordained them and set limits on them (John 19:10-11).

Any earthly leader could be removed tomorrow, and God’s Kingdom wouldn’t be affected in the slightest.

We don’t always understand these things, but we know the King of kings and trust Him.

Prayer: Father, in accordance with Your Word, I pray blessing over my governing authorities (1 Timothy 2:1-2), which You are fully in control over. May they have the wisdom and integrity to lead well for the good of the people they have been appointed over. Where there are corrupt leaders, remove them; raise up righteous leaders who will uphold truth and justice. Amen.

Reflection: Beyond this prayer, take time today to pray specifically, by name, for your local, regional, and national political leaders.