Church and State

I didn't really know what to title this entry, but anyway. I was reading in my quiet time according to my "bible in a year" schedule and read these three different passages that all gave me comfort to the government/political/and economical state of our country. The fact that I read all three of these on the same day really jumped out at me. 

The first was Romans 13:1-2 - "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."

Then I finished 1 Samuel which is this whole idea that Israel asked for a king so God gave them a king even though it wasn't in there best interest. Then after the spirit of the Lord had departed from King Saul we watch God prepare David to become the new leader. Then we see Saul take his own life at the end of 1 Samuel and David is anointed King over Judah. 

I then finished my quiet time with Psalm 67 - "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him."

As Christians, we are called to submit to the governing authority of our country. And we must trust that God is the one that has placed those people into power (House, Senate, President, governor, whatever). The problem with Christians today is that we expect these governing bodies to lead a Christian nation. We expect them to be an influence and cause our nation to be a moral place. This is the same problem that we see in church goers who look toward the pastor and staff to do all the ministering and outreach. Each one of us must do our part. If we want God to bless our land, our economy, and our country; it isn't done by electing the right government officials. It is done by this repeating verse in Psalm 67 "May the people praise you, O God; may ALL the peoples praise you." Are you praising God today? Everyday? Through your words? Through your actions? And is your praise of God contagious? Are you leading others to a point of praising God? Are you sharing the Gospel with your friends, coworkers, or neighbors? 

"May the peoples praise you, O God; may ALL the peoples praise you. Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear HIM."