Who’s Really In Charge?

PREVIEW: News flash, the president is not really in charge — no president really is. And as the people of God, we must not forget that! God is in charge. Economies, presidents, and even nations come and go, but, as David says, “the plans of the Lord stand firm forever!” Sure, poor economies affect our day-to-day lives; so do bad presidents and evil empires. But just remember, they will come and go. It is the purposes of God’s heart that transcend the current state of affairs in our world.

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 33:10-11

The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.

Every four or eight years, new presidents stand before the American press for their first prime-time press conference. Almost without fail, the main subject of their public address is the worsening national economy — an alarming upswing in unemployment, inflation, home foreclosures, rising interest rates, bank failures, and a host of other bleak economic indicators. It is almost like new presidents are reading the from “The New Presidents’ Playbook.”

These presidents understand that much is riding on their ability to communicate with the American people and convince them that their plan to bail out our economy must be supported, and if it isn’t, the damage done will be irreparable. Agree or disagree with these presidents’ plan for prosperity du jour, one thing you’ve got to give them, they are (usually) extraordinary communicators with astonishing brainpower and off-the-charts winsomeness that make half the country want to put their hope in his or her plan.

But, news flash, the president is not really in charge — no president really is. And as the people of God, we must not forget that! God is in charge. Economies, presidents, and even nations come and go, but, as David says, “the plans of the Lord stand firm forever!”

Sure, poor economies affect our day-to-day lives; so do bad presidents and evil empires. But just remember, they will come and go. It is the “purposes of God’s heart” that transcend the current state of affairs in our world.

So today, as you consider the current president’s roadmap to peace and prosperity, and as you listen to the endless debate heating up the halls of Congress in Washington, DC as to how our problems can be solved, you really should pray for these leaders—they really need your help and mine. Actually, they seriously need God’s help.

But at the end of the day, I would suggest that you hitch your wagonload of hope to God’s star — because he’s really the One in charge.

And he always will be!