So, November 8 finally came and went. Are you relieved? Excited? Saddened? Ready to move on? Let me start with a powerful statement by the apostle Paul, “ … but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.” (Philippians 3:13-16)
Does not that soothe your soul? Regardless of the outcome of yesterday’s election, regardless of the excitement and/or hopelessness you may feel over the races you were following, regardless of all that we have heard in the last 18 months of appalling election commentaries, vile accusations by candidates, reported campaign dishonesty, let alone the corrupt media and government, may we forget the past and press forward in our call of God in Christ Jesus.
How do we then face the tasks ahead of us? The Lame Duck period is looming before Inauguration Day and we must hold our legislators answerable when they are most likely going to take up controversial issues to avoid explaining their votes to their electorate.
CWA of North Carolina will face these times as we always have. We’ll pray and then act.
- We first recognize Who our Lord and Savior is. “He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:8). Only our God is sovereign! “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?” (2 Chronicles 20:6)
– We praise You, our heavenly Father, for Your sovereignty over all the nations and all the people. Amen. - We remember from where we have come. Remember our nation’s history. We have lived through very dark times before. But, the Lord’s people have always been “guided by the Lord’s hand to pleasant places” (Psalm 16:6). “The Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people” (1 Samuel 12:22).
– We praise You, our heavenly Father, for Your love, guidance and direction. Amen. - We reflect and give thanks to our gracious Father. “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” (Deuteronomy 7:9)
– We praise You, our loving Father, for your grace towards us. Amen. - We reassemble and prepare. Our Founder, Mrs. Beverly LaHaye, exhorts us: “God didn’t call us to win the battles; he called us to fight the battles. … The winning is up to Him as long as we stand up for righteousness.”
– We cry out to You, Oh Lord. As we are still weary, we cry out for wisdom and strength to continue the fight. Please deliver our nation through Your righteousness. Amen.
Let us be unified, as of the same mind, as we approach Thanksgiving with hearts at peace in Him and a determination to stand up for righteousness through both our prayers and actions.
As you go about your day, we hope you will find a blessing in this very powerful and calming hymn:
My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less
– Edward Mote (1797-1874)
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
No merit of my own I claim
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, his covenant, his blood
Sustain me in the raging flood;
When all supports are washed away,
He then is all my hope and stay.
When he shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in him be found,
Clothed in his righteousness alone,
Redeemed to stand before the throne!
Amen.
Jill Coward
State Director
CWA of North Carolina
http://nc.cwfa.org
director@northcarolina.cwfa.org