Perhaps, like
me, you have been watching with sad hearts as Russia invades Ukraine,
destroying buildings and killing people.
I hear Americans react in shock.
Because of modern technology, we are watching horrible violence and
injustice. Actually, we should not be
shocked. History shows many tyrants who
take what they want because they consider themselves stronger. In fact, the people of God have often been
the recipients of injustice. Just
consider the example of Israel during their Babylonian captivity, and Roman
occupation. Or, think of the persecution
of God’s people throughout history.
Many today
want to do something to help the Ukrainians.
So some give funds to care for the people of the Ukraine. I have noticed toy drives to help Ukrainian
children. I have also heard many
politicians give their opinions about what to do, as if their opinion is the
only reasonable option. Only, there are so many opinions.
World politics
are always complicated. On the one hand,
the histories I have read concerning Russia include the city of Kiev, now in
Ukraine. On the other hand, Christians
in America believe that God has created us all, and that, because God created
us, we have worth and dignity.
Therefore, we believe in individual freedom, which we have chosen to
express in democracy. That is why, when
we see a tyrant steal the freedoms of another, we are appalled and want to help
the oppressed.
What can we do? First, rather than trusting any human
politician, I trust my heavenly Father and King. In Psalm 20 David wrote, “Some trust in chariots and some in
horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” (Psalm 20:7)
We are uncertain as to how the sovereign Lord will act. But, I still trust him more than any earthly
politician I now see. I trust that in
this world, or in the next, God will deliver justice.
Secondly, and
I believe this to be most important, I pray.
Our Lord inspired St. Paul to write about the big picture of this world,
“1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for everyone-- 2 for kings and all those in authority, that
we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is
good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come
to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)
God’s primary concern is the salvation of all people, from death and
judgement to life and salvation, through faith in Jesus. However, God does care about the world in
which His people live. That is why we
are called to pray for all in authority so that God’s people “may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” In other words, God calls us to pray for peace and for
order in our world. That is why, in my
daily prayers, I always mention the name of our president and our governor, no
matter their political party. Right now
I daily pray for President Joe Biden, and for Governor Mike Dunlevy. My prayer is that God would give them wisdom,
and that they would act to bring justice and righteousness according to our Lord’s definition of those
virtues. All leaders need help in this
area, no matter their country or political party.
However, and I’m
told that it is what comes after the “but” or after the “however” which is
really important. However, I also
pray that God would hinder, that He would frustrate, and that our Lord would
defeat any leader who works against His justice and against His
righteousness. It seems obvious to me
that President Vladimir Putin is acting contrary to the justice and
righteousness of God. So, I am praying
he gains godly wisdom and repents of
his evil. But, I am also praying
strongly against Putin and against his current policies and actions which are
taking lives and destroying a country.
Remember what Jesus teaches about prayer. “7 "Ask and it will be given
to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. . .
11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who
ask him!”
(Matthew 7:7, 11)
Finally, I don’t just pray, I also try to act, while knowing my own lack of
wisdom in these areas. I usually try to
act through someone on the ground where the problem is occurring. I try to bring God’s good through someone who
shares my Christian values. Sometimes I
have volunteered. Often I give a
donation. But, I try to act in a way
that follows my Christian beliefs and values.
The world is a mess, because it is full of sinful people. We see that sin on display regularly and we,
therefore, know how important it is that we have and that we believe in God’s
promised Savior from sin, Jesus. But,
because God loves us, He cares about our daily lives as well as our eternal
welfare. Currently I am praying that God
protects the Ukrainians, and that He frustrates and defeat’s President Putin.
A Child of
God, Trusting that My Lord is Stronger, Wiser, and More Loving than Any Leader,
Pastor
Jonathan
P.S. One place to make donations for helping the
Ukrainians is Lutheran World
Relief. You
can give online at www.lwr.org/match or by mail to LWR: PO Box 17061,
Baltimore, MD 21297-1061.
P.P.S. Believe it or not, I went fishing this past
week. J Much rain has
kept me from golfing, so I’ve done a little more
fishing than usual.
· On Thursday, March 10, my brother, Stephen, and I
fished in the rain on the Withlacoochee River.
Here are some pictures. I caught
my first ever gar. https://photos.app.goo.gl/bLtSw1kgfGYs7H3Y6
· On Sunday afternoon, March 13, after worship, I fished
in a local lake. I had very few bites in
the first 4 hours, but in the last 2 hours I caught a lot of fish. Here are pictures of the fish I caught, and
the fish I kept. https://photos.app.goo.gl/gnsYEmih3FbvqtH68
· I took my great-nephew, Nathan Mehrlich, fishing on
Monday, March 14. Here are pictures of
our trip on the Suwannee River. https://photos.app.goo.gl/JaC8LGGZaphAdJ838
· Finally, on Tuesday, March 15, after a day of errands,
I went fishing late afternoon / early evening.
I did pretty well. https://photos.app.goo.gl/mrxzZcxhbcMiG1qD7
*****
ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I retired at the
end of August 2019 from serving as senior pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in
Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly devotion previously entitled, "Thoughts
from the Pastor." When I retired many asked me to continue
writing these devotions. So I have continued writing. However, with
life's changes I now call this weekly devotion "Journeys Through Life
as a Child of God." Since I am no longer senior pastor at
St. John, I felt it right to only send this message to those who asked to
receive it. (Though I am now serving again part-time at St. John as assistant
to the pastor.)
So, if you stopped receiving these devotions and wondered why, now you
understand. And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish
to receive them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my
distribution list. My e-mail address is jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these devotions help each of you in your daily walk with our
Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan
Rockey
Child of God
Husband,
Father, Son, Grandfather
Pastor
Emeritus, St. John Lutheran Church
E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net
“1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on
us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John
3:1a)
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