News reports regularly tell us that levels of public cynicism towards politicians are at an all-time high. The perpetual criticism of the political sphere is that words of promise are not backed up with action. But come to think of it… I’ve been hearing those news reports for 50 odd years!
Well – if those news reports are true – God wouldn’t make a good politician, because His Word never lacks action. When God speaks, stuff happens (Is 55:11)! For example, rocks get smashed to pieces (Jer 23:29), the earth gets watered and seeds grow (Is 55:10), thoughts and intentions of the heart are split open (Heb 4:12), a beautiful universe gets created (Gen 1), sins are exposed (Ps 19:11-12), people are set free from captivity (Jn 8:32), sins are forgiven (Lk 7:48), people are saved (Ro 1:16), people’s lives are transformed ((Ro 12:2), dead people are raised to life (Jn 11:43).
There is nothing more active and powerful in the universe than God’s Word. James says that God has given us birth through His Word, that we might be first fruits of His Word (James 1:18). That’s why he says that it’s impossible for us to hear God’s Word, and not also do God’s Word (1:22). If we don’t do God’s Word, then we never heard it in the first place!
Politicians are always pretty soft targets. Remember, we live in a representative democracy – they represent us; when we look at them, we are looking in a mirror!
The grace of Jesus Christ forgives us of our failure to hear and do God’s Word, and liberates us to hear and do it.
Grace and cheers, Jonathan.