3 Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. 4 When his breadth departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish (Psalm 146:3-4)
“The beauty of democracy is that when your candidate loses, you get another shot at it in a few years.” My endearing college politics professor was right. Whether she realized it or not, she embodied the Christian view of politics. Every few years, the debate rages between candidates and our faith is tested under a sea of asking “who are you voting for?” Is it not like Christ to make himself our only hope, so much so, that any “prince” seems like a complete waste of energy? Politics are nice – if not entertaining – but they are man-made and the schemes of man will always leave us wanting more. Our trust alone must rest in our Lord. No plan or politician can replace this. The Psalmist reminds us that there is no salvation short of Christ.
Perhaps one encouraging thing of this passage is that eventually, the politician you despise will die (v.4a). When this happens, all their crackpot ideas and bigoted views will perish with them. With this in view, we are free to treat our politicians like absent minded grandparents uttering complete nonsense. Their job is to get people to like them, not be our savior. That is too heavy a burden for any man or woman.
Today, remember where your hope rests. In the risen spirit of a gracious Lord. While culture and social media are raging, take a breath of redemptive air, knowing that it will be just as it has always been. Flawed, broken, and frustrating, our hope lay elsewhere. Someday, that politician will die.
“I’ve read the last page of the Bible, it’s all going to turn out alright.” – Billy Graham
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