SuperChamp

Is it not You, O God, who cast us off? And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies? – Psalm 108:11

Abraham Lincoln was once quoted as saying: Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right. Many people do things that God has not asked, fought wars that God has not sanctioned, and declare things that God has not mentioned…all in the name of God. Some do it for selfish gain while others do it because they mistake the written word of God as a call to action without listening for the spoken word of God. God is a relational God. He wants to speak to us through the Holy Spirit – he wants to give us the right strategy and will let us know the right time. We can’t do what we want to do and then say that God is with us. God is not subject to our commands, but we are subject to His. He is not some genie that we can call upon to grant our wishes. Thus, we should not get carried away and let our passion for Him turn into self-righteousness.

I will check with God even when I think I am right

He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way – Psalm 107:40

In the Book of Daniel, the king of Babylon is an example of a ruler that felt he was invincible. He thought he could do whatever he wanted because Babylonia was the pre-eminent kingdom of the world. Yet, the kingdom was stripped away from him, and he ended up roaming around in the wilderness as a mad man. This tells us that no matter how powerful a leader or ruler becomes, he or she is no equal to God. God can raise up one king and pull down the same king. King Saul of Israel is a great example of this: God choose him for Israel when they asked for a king, but then he cast him down and selected the boy David instead of him. Though Saul continued to rule for many years Davids selection, it was only a matter of time before his lineage would be cut off from the kinghood. When any ruler becomes too prideful and think himself or herself as bigger than God, then God takes action to cast the ruler down. God will not let those who do evil rule forever. Take solace in this if your nation is being ruled by evil men.

God watches the actions of rulers and removes them in the passing of time

Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them – Psalm 107:5

This verse shows what we already know – physical poverty can lead to soul poverty. Yes, when people do not have enough to eat and drink, they get desperate, and they are more likely to do dastardly things. So, when we see people in the ‘hood’ or in a ‘favela’ do dastardly and dangerous things, it is that they are inherently bad but that their situation has led to soul poverty which has caused them to do bad things! Now, this condition is not just limited to those living in poverty. Is it not easier for the enemy of our soul to lie to us and cause us to believe wild things when we are drained? Also, consider that the enemy tempted Jesus when he was hungry and thirsty in the wilderness. Thus, we should HALT when we are Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired. Additionally, it is likely our FAULT when we act when Frustrated, Angry, Upset, Lonely, or Tired. No one is immune to making bad decisions and no one gets it right all the time! Thus, rather than judge those who are hungry and thirsty (living in poverty) for bad behavior, we are better served trying to remove the conditions that encourage such behaviors in the first place so we can live more harmoniously together.

I will not dismiss the poor but choose to care for those who are hurting