We all tend to see ourselves as just ‘innocent’ Christians. What could possibly be the problem with loving and seeking to serve the Lord! Surely everyone can see that’s a good thing to do even if they don’t believe in Him?!
Yet we should never forget that the MOST political statement that can EVER be made is: ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’! The exclusivity of His being Lord necessarily means that ultimately other things, or other people, are not. The reality is that as we seek to serve Him, those who won’t may well oppose us with everything at their disposal. As we saw last Sunday morning from Ezra Chapter 4, the decades-long ‘institutional opposition’ that God’s people experienced throughout the changing governments and kings was a very difficult time. There must have been occasions when they felt some despair.
Yet we also saw that although on first glance it looks as if those who oppose Him are winning, the LORD IS Sovereign. He is not just the God of the Bible, but the Lord of History. His plans always in the end prevail. Prov 16:33 & Prov 21:1 are still true even 3000 years after they were written!
There are times in our own lives when, even as (sometimes especially as!) those who seek to love and serve Him, it feels as if we are on the losing side of History. Yet when you look back it’s always worth noting that EVERY institution or government or organisation that has sought to oppose the LORD and His plans has ultimately failed. If you ever feel defeated, open your Bible at the end and you’ll see the ultimate truth that when all is said and done, Jesus wins!
Spencer Shaw