Politics and Providence

Does the political climate make you upset or frustrated with our country’s leaders (whichever party).  It does me.  Sometimes I even take some small action by signing a petition or sending an e-mail to my elected representative. I will even be heard to grumble, along with some friends, and even in a most bellicose way. However, maybe all of us (myself included) need to think on the excerpted words of William S. Plumer from his book, Jehovah-Jireh: A Treatise on Providence (my emphasis underlined):

  

“Consider how great is the danger of resisting providence.  Whenever God’s will is known, submit to it, not grudgingly, but of a cheerful mind.  For their sins the Jews had a hard bondage in Babylon.  What made their case worse was that among them were prophets and diviners, who fomented rebellion against their masters.  They were quite opposed to the reigning powers, and, in fact, were in favor of sullen rebellion against God and man.  These false teachers vexed the people and kept their tempers chafed.  But by God’s direction, good Jeremiah wrote them a letter, saying: ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives from Jerusalem unto Babylon: Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city, whither I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray unto the Lord for it, for in the peace thereof ye shall have peace.  For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.” (Jer. xxix.4-8).  How much better it is thus cheerfully to submit to Providence than to quarrel with it, and fret, and lose our good tempers, and, with our tempers, our good consciences!  For, “who hath hardened himself against God and prospered?” (Job ix.4).