Cell phones are great. Except during election season. I've lost count of how many calls and text messages I've received from potential candidates. Each one is sure that this is the most important election in our history. Theirs is the most important.
And, apparently, my opinion is extremely valuable.
They want my vote. They want to know what issues matter to me. They want to convince me that they're the right person for the job. And choosing the right people matters. Still, I can't help but laugh at the thought that somewhere, someone is staring at a poll, trying to figure out what the rest of us want to hear.
In Isaiah 43, God doesn't work that way. God isn't running for reelection.
Through the prophet, God says, “Indeed, since that day I am he; there is no one who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can hinder it?”
It's not arrogance when you're God. That should be our reassurance.
Isaiah is talking to people whose circumstances gave them plenty of reasons to question whether God was still faithful and in charge. They were living in exile under Babylon's rule. Babylon was powerful. Babylon looked like it had won. And Babylon looked permanent.
God reminds them that appearances don't get a vote. Neither does Babylon. Neither does fear. Neither does the worst thing that has happened to you.
God doesn't check polls before deciding whether to be faithful. God doesn't need a majority before acting. God's redemptive work isn't dependent on favorable circumstances or popular approval.
Listen again: “I work, and who can hinder it?”
Other voices will try. Fear, anxiety, success, money, power, politics, and control all run tough campaigns. Each one will insist that everything depends on them.
But they are all temporary candidates.
God isn't running for office. God is God. What looks powerful today is still temporary.
Stay blessed...john
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