I imagine this title will draw you in. Our home nations go to vote soon and will likely produce a change in UK government. Globally 64 countries (plus the EU) will be at polls in 2024 – this represents around 49% of the global population. Reportedly the biggest election year, ever.
Jesus – our King
In Matthew 28:18 we read:
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me’…”
And in Ephesians 1:20-22a Paul writes:
“he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet…”.
In our current preaching series, we have been exploring Hebrews in which the writer seeks to display God’s truth, in Jesus. Inviting the recipient to reject Jewish teachings and laws in favour of Christ’s grace and High priestly status – and his eternal, timeless being. There are major themes of endurance and not giving up on Jesus.
I believe the spirit of God would exhort us similarly – don’t hang on to words and false promises of leaders (you may not anyway!) but continually immerse ourselves in the eternal truth of His Word, which is embodied in Christ. Who is the hope of glory – living in us (Colossians 1:27). As our King, He always wishes to communicate with us, not just hear from us and I will touch on this later.
PRAY
Luke 5:16 says ‘But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.’ Jesus’ relationship with His Father and His response to His surroundings was rooted in devoted prayer. Subsequently, as a follower of Jesus, I encourage you to spend time praying to the Father, through Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Seek revelation from the Holy Spirit by asking him to pray for our leaders, for our neighbours and for the lost in our society.
There is a plethora of prayer expressions that we are encouraged to engage with Biblically. In Philippians 4 Paul encourages us to not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God. There is no prayer or thought too small to bring before our Heavenly Father. In Ephesians 6, Paul inspires us to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Being alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
As you sit in the secret place with the Lord, He will reveal His heart to you. This does not always come naturally to us, we often have to slow down and learn to rest in His presence. For me, this is a journey. When we still ourselves – as God’s sheep – He will speak to us (John 10:27).
In devotional times with Father God, I often find myself meditating on key Scriptures which have encouraged me during hard times, major national events or closer-to-home struggles.
One such example is Isaiah 26:3 –
You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you.
Also – God desires to speak to you at key points in life, to give you fuel to endure for often long periods of time. I find the prophetic voice of God increases my hope for months and sometimes even years, in some specific cases.
One such case was when I was just out of university and was waiting to hear what school I was going to teach in. For 14 days in a row, the Holy Spirit kept drawing me to Ezekiel 47:1-12. I was being taught a lot from the first few verses around submission and surrender – verse 12 was specifically continually highlighted to me. This spoke of trees along the bank of a river. The bank of the river came after Ezekiel had been led by the hand through the river. I was edified by these verses as I read. Then – after two weeks in this space, I got an email saying I was going to Riverbank Primary School. The link between Riverbank and the above themes provided me with great faith when things got tough. It was a constant reminder of God with me!
This Sunday
We will unpack some of these themes on Sunday (not the election though), with a focus on FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS. Looking forward to it and expectant that God will speak to us as we come to Him. God bless you!
Josh 😊