Dear friends of Vital Signs Ministries, November 2024
I write this letter from Branson, Missouri on one of the last days of the annual 2-week “working vacation” that Claire and I take down here every October. And, though on all of our minds nowadays is the future of our nation as it will be monumentally affected by the upcoming elections, I am writing you before then. Why? Well, if I waited until the elections were over, the November newsletter wouldn’t get to you until the middle of the month — or even later, given the possibilities of inefficient voting machines and methods, litigation, and other malicious shenanigans by the left which could delay the results for who knows how long.
But perhaps more important, writing you now emphasizes that the message I’m sharing has the greatest relevance and applicability to our lives no matter what the election results might be. And, most certainly, if you are interested in my responses to the Trump vs Harris contest, the control of the U.S. Senate and Congress, and the fate of Nebraska following the fight over the abortion-related amendments, you will find them on Vital Signs Blog beginning November 6th. But for now, here are a few suggestions for “how we should then live” whatever the election results. These are, by the way, inspired by Psalm 37 which has been a focus for our study and prayers while we’ve been down here in the Ozarks.
1) Don’t fret over evildoers. This is a command of extreme importance. In fact, David gives this specific exhortation 3 different times in this Psalm. And, as the wickedness surrounding us grows more perverse and ever more intrusive, this relevant counsel is something we must heed most carefully. We are all too aware that the evil one and his duped minions are tremendously busy in our day. Lying. Cheating. Exploiting. Scheming. Shaking their fists at God. Seeking to destroy His truth. And seeking to destroy whoever might dare to still stand for His truth.
And yet David says, don’t fret over evildoers. Don’t be envious of their illusory success and oh-so-temporary powers. Therefore, don’t slam your fist on the table. Don’t curse the darkness. Don’t kick the dog. Don’t be like Elvis and shoot out your TV. No question about it, the devil is giving you more than enough to tempt you to anger and exasperation and even fear. But you need not go there! Instead, go to God. Lean into the overcoming, joyful power of the Holy Spirit. Embrace the profound truths of Psalm 37. The wicked do not provide an appropriate reason for you to worry or stay “ticked off” because they, not the righteous, are the losers. The big losers! Indeed, as the Psalm describes, the Lord laughs at the folly of the wicked. They will be cut down. They will wither. They will be cut off. They will be ashamed. The sword shall enter their own hearts. They will perish and be no more. Get it?
But those who know God have a future — a blessed, glorious, victorious, and forever future! So, my brothers and sisters, keep the long view. Wait patiently for the Lord’s judgment, even as you concentrate your efforts in investing in the Kingdom to come. For in “yet a little while” you will see the breaking forth of God’s justice in its awesome, holy fullness. What a day that will be!
Oh yes, one other note here. David adds the warning that fretting over the wicked is not only a waste of energy and a sign that you’re not trusting in the providential power of the Almighty, fretting is actually counter-productive. Cease from anger and forsake wrath for these cause harm in two dramatic ways. First of all, it harms you by hindering your faith, distracting you from your calling, stealing your joy and confidence, and making you part of the problem rather than being part of God’s solution. But second, it also harms the Body of Christ. For if you are sidelined by a lack of faith and self-control, you’re not in the game and are therefore letting your teammates down. And while that is a selfish and cowardly sin in itself, you compound the sin by serving as a temptation to them. Rather than being a friend and encourager “to love and good deeds,” you’re a downer, a draining person, a negative role model. You represent the bench warmers who have exchanged faith for fear, growth for grumbling, and holiness for self-powered hate.
So stop it, King David would say. Stop fretting. Stop envying. Stop being blind to the awesome powers of your holy God Who will judge the wicked in His way and in His time.
2) But does this mean that we should not be concerned about evildoers? About injustice? That we should shrug off the wickedness of abortionists and drag queens and false teachers and sex traffickers? God forbid! For though God explicitly commands us to cease from anger and forsake wrath (wrath being solely His department), we are to consistently commit ourselves to doing good. How so? Well, the Lord desires us to exercise self-control and spiritual disciplines in our pilgrimage towards our heavenly home. He commands us to speak the truth in love, even when we confront our enemies. He tells us to occupy until He comes and to do so with faithful confidence in His wisdom and compassion. And the Lord commands us to shine forth His light without fear. So, ours is not to fret wickedness; it is to fight it! Clad in our spiritual armor, depending upon the Spirit of the living God, carefully following the directions set in His Word, we serve as ambassadors of our Lord Jesus Christ with humility and compassion…as well as honor and courage.
These are our duties (and our opportunities) no matter who is in the White House or what is the state of our temporal culture. Okay? Let’s do this!
P.S. Again, for more on my reactions to the elections, you can check in to Vital Signs Blog. After all, that’s always the place where you can make connections with Claire and I and the various activities of Vital Signs Ministries. May God bless you all. And, yes, may God have mercy on our nation.