A PERSONAL WORD BEFORE YOU READ

I’m aware that while some are rejoicing over the recent election results, others are disappointed, discouraged, or even concerned about what the future may hold. Regardless of where we stand politically, I hope to encourage all of us who profess faith in Jesus Christ to pause and examine where our attention is focused and in whom our confidence rests. It’s easy to become so caught up in what’s happening around us that we lose sight of what matters most.

This devotional is a little longer than my usual posts, but I believe there’s something here we need to hear. My purpose is not to engage in politics, but to encourage believers to maintain a proper perspective, remain steadfast in their faith, and remember that our calling has not changed because the political landscape has. So, I hope you’ll join me is remembering…

THE THRONE IS NOT EMPTY!

The world may change, but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

“But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus…” — Hebrews 2:8–9 (NKJV)

Depending on our perspective, the changing world around us may give us reason to rejoice or cause for concern. Some see reasons for hope, while others fear what the future may hold. But whether we’re celebrating victories or lamenting defeats, we need to remember something: The throne of heaven is not empty just because the thrones of earth have changed occupants!

This is not the first time God’s people have lived through uncertain and changing circumstances. Daniel served God faithfully in Babylon, surrounded by idolatry and rulers who demanded allegiance that belonged to God alone. Joseph remained faithful in Egypt. Elijah stood for God when Israel had largely turned to Baal. And the early Church proclaimed Jesus Christ as Lord while living under the authority of an empire that demanded loyalty to Caesar. Their circumstances were different, but their confidence was the same. God had not surrendered His throne!

Consider Daniel. He witnessed the rise and fall of kings and kingdoms. He lived through political upheaval, moral corruption, and even laws designed to make faithfulness to God a crime. Yet when the decree was signed forbidding prayer to anyone but the king, Daniel did what he had always done. He went home, opened his windows toward Jerusalem, and prayed (Daniel 6:10). Daniel did not allow the changing circumstances around him to change the convictions within him. That’s a word for us!

But Daniel’s faithfulness wasn’t limited to his prayer closet. He served with distinction in a government that did not share his faith. He exercised influence, demonstrated wisdom, and maintained his integrity without compromising his convictions. He neither withdrew from Babylon nor surrendered himself to its values. He remained faithful to God while serving in a world that did not honor Him.

When God’s people were carried into Babylonian captivity, the Lord instructed them to seek the peace of the city where He had sent them and to pray for it (Jeremiah 29:7). Think about that! They were to contribute to the welfare of the very society that had taken them captive. They were not to become Babylonians in their convictions, but they were to become a blessing to Babylon in their conduct. There is something here that Christians living in the twenty-first century desperately need to understand.

Our calling has never been to place our confidence in earthly kingdoms. Governments rise and fall. Political movements come and go. Cultures change, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. The world may change, but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)! Our circumstances may change, but His character does not. His promises remain, His purposes stand, and His faithfulness never fails. Our confidence rests in who He is, not in what happens around us.

And that is something we must remember whether we’re celebrating a political victory or struggling with a political defeat. A political victory does not mean God’s kingdom has arrived, and a political defeat does not mean God’s kingdom has failed. Neither should determine the strength of our faith, the measure of our joy, or the extent of our commitment to Christ. Our hope has never rested in who occupies an earthly throne but in the One who is enthroned in heaven.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us of something essential to our understanding of the present world. Although all authority has been given to Jesus Christ, we do not yet see everything subjected to Him. His kingdom has not yet come in its fullness. Evil still exists. Sin still destroys. Rebellion against God continues. But that does not mean Christ has lost His authority or that His purposes have been defeated. Jesus has been exalted to the Father’s right hand, crowned with glory and honor, and His ultimate victory is certain (Hebrews 2:8–9).

We do not yet see everything subjected to Christ, but we do see Jesus! What a wonderful declaration! We look around and see a world of competing ideas, conflicting values, and changing circumstances. We look toward heaven by faith and see Jesus, enthroned in glory. The present condition of the world is not the final condition of the world. The day is coming when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10–11). Until then, we live in the tension between what Christ has already accomplished and what He has yet to bring to completion.

Jesus did not tell His disciples that the world would always welcome them. In fact, He told them quite the opposite. But He also gave them this wonderful assurance: “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Our hope is not that everything will go the way we want it to go. Our hope is in the One who has already overcome! We are not pretending that everything is right with the world. We are confident that everything will ultimately be made right through Jesus Christ.

And perhaps this is where we need to examine our own hearts. Have we allowed political victories to give us a confidence that belongs to Christ alone? Have we permitted political disappointments to rob us of the joy and peace that should characterize our lives? Have we become so concerned about who is leading our nation that we have neglected our responsibility to represent Christ within it? Have we allowed frustration to replace compassion or disagreement to diminish our love for our neighbors? These are questions worth asking regardless of where we stand politically.

We don’t need to panic when things don’t go our way, and we shouldn’t become complacent when they do. Neither should our confidence in Christ’s authority become an excuse for doing nothing. Faithfulness is not passivity! Knowing that Christ is enthroned does not relieve us of our responsibility to engage the world around us. Daniel didn’t withdraw from Babylon, and the early Christians didn’t hide from Rome. They lived their faith openly, courageously, and compassionately. They stood for truth without becoming hostile toward those who opposed it. They refused to compromise their convictions without abandoning their concern for their neighbors.

We must do the same. We are not called to retreat from the world, nor are we called to wage war against it. We are called to be salt and light in it! We can speak the truth, stand for righteousness, participate in civic life, serve our communities, and work for the good of our neighbors. We can oppose what is wrong without treating those with whom we disagree as enemies to be destroyed. Our mission is not advanced through anger, intimidation, or coercion, but through the truth, love, and transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

After all, the Church has never depended upon favorable circumstances to fulfill its mission. It has always depended upon a faithful Savior! The early Church didn’t wait for Rome to become friendly toward Christianity before proclaiming the gospel. They went into a hostile world with a message of hope, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, lives were changed. Their confidence in Christ’s authority did not make them passive. It made them courageous!

So, lift up your head, child of God! Whether you’re encouraged or discouraged by the events of the day, remember that your hope rests in something far greater than the outcome of an election. Political victories are not necessarily spiritual triumphs, and political defeats are not necessarily spiritual failures. Our joy must not depend upon political victories, our hope must not be destroyed by political defeats, and our faithfulness must not be determined by either.

The future is not ultimately in the hands of those who occupy earthly positions of power. It is in the hands of the One who declared, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). The throne is not empty. The King has not abdicated. His promises have not expired. And His people have not been abandoned. We may not yet see everything under His feet, but we know that the day is coming when His victory will be fully revealed.

The throne is not empty, and the Church’s mission is not finished! So let us neither retreat in fear nor advance in anger. Let us go into the world with the truth of Christ, the love of Christ, and the courage that comes from knowing Christ is King.

The world will change. Kingdoms will rise and fall. Cultures will come and go. But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! He is still on the throne, His promises are still true, and His purposes will surely be accomplished.

The world will do what the world will do. As for us, let us be found faithful to JESUS THE CHRIST!

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” — 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV)