The Enemy Within

Less than two weeks to go before our country's presidential election. Personally, I can't wait until it's over. These elections bring so much division and animosity. Ever wonder why? There is actually an answer in the Bible. Imagine that.

"So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” - 1 Samuel 8:4-5

The people wanted a king, just like we want a "king" to rule over us today. They wanted a king just like "all the other nations have." The problem with this was that the Israelites already had a king - God.

"But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king." - 1 Samuel 8:6-7

From that day on the Israelites had earthly leaders rule over them. We still have that today. That desire is the enemy within us.

Joshua brought forth a solution years earlier when he said . . .

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” - Joshua 24:15

We have choices to make in our elections - one from Column A or one from Column B. For various reasons, neither one seems worthy to leader our great nation.

But who should rule over us then?

Many Christians think that Jesus would bring peace and stability to the world. Nope.

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household." - Matthew 10:34-36

Do any of us have family members with differing political beliefs? Yes. Why is that? Are they are siding with a human leader this election? Humans are human. We humans are ALL sinful. Trust is God alone. Solus Christus!

In Christ Alone - Kristian Stanfill