Letter of Hope

In 1st Timothy chapter 2, we can read a reminder about how important it is to pray for our authorities, specifically those who are in the arena of governing. Beginning with the first verse, we can read:
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

If we are frustrated with the way that we see people in authority act, it's very easy to engage the mouth or the keyboard, and much more difficult to engage the heart and to engage heaven.  God desires for His people to be in prayer about the activities of our leaders.  We can look to Him to raise up leaders, and even to shape their hearts so that they will exercise His wisdom and reflect and apply His principles.  We can be challenged to call on God instead of to complain about our leadership.

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In Daniel chapter 2, we find this leader grappling with interpreting the dream of the king, and Daniel
called out to the Lord.  This passage can also remind us about God's concern for those in governmental authority.  We see these words:
20 Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.

A letter was recently discovered that was written by a rather famous individual to his dying father-in-law, who apparently did not know the Lord. As I share some excerpts, included on the Faithwire website, think about who may have written these words - a preacher?  A sports hero?  A politician?  Or an actor?  The article says that this letter was actually brought to light by Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post.   OK, here we go...it states:

...We’ve been promised this is only a part of life and that a greater life, a greater glory awaits us. It awaits you together one day and all that is required is that you believe and tell God you put yourself in his hands.”

He shared with his father-in-law, whose first name was Loyal, about his belief that he had been miraculously healed from a stomach ulcer.  There were colleagues who confessed they had prayed for him.

The article goes on to say that the author "...proceeds to detail how the Bible held 123 Old Testament prophecies about Christ’s life which all came true when Jesus eventually walked the earth, 700 years after his birth was predicted."  He also said, “And one of the predictions was that he would be born of a Virgin,” adding, “Now I know that is probably the hardest for you as a doctor to accept. The only answer that can be given is – a miracle.”  The writer stated, "I don’t find that as great a miracle as the actual history of his life,” and also said, “Either he was who he said he was or he was the greatest faker and charlatan who ever lived.”

But this famous man also wrote, "But would a liar and faker suffer the death he did when all he had to do to save himself was admit he’d been lying?”

Any ideas yet?

The author of the letter continued to comment on the significance of Jesus' life: “He did this for only three years and then was executed as a common criminal...But for two thousand years he has … had more impact on the world than all the teachers, scientists, emperors, generals and admirals who ever lived, all put together.”  And he included John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that who so ever believed in him would not perish but have everlasting life.”

The Faithwire account says that, "Tumulty shares in her column that at the end of Loyal’s life, he did turn to God. His daughter, Nancy, was with him at the hospital, where he requested a chaplain to pray with him before he passed." She notes that “Faith was not an electoral stratagem for Ronald Reagan,” adding, “His private words show it was his starting point, and the core of who he was.”

What a touching story about someone who was respected by so many, including a number of evangelical Christians - and his desire to see his wife, Nancy's father come to Christ.  It's a challenging template for all of us.

So, we can consider this: Who are you concerned about?  Obviously, Reagan had concern over his father-in-law's spiritual condition.  We can evaluate the state of the people around us and think about how might God be leading us you to share the gospel with them.

We can also check our own spiritual "vital signs," if you will, and ask ourselves: Is my faith in Christ, as Tumulty notes it seemed to be for Reagan, "the core" of who we are?  Our passions and priorities can be driven by our love for the Lord. 

This also reminds us about how we need such an infusion of godly wisdom for those in government leadership these days, and can be challenged to pray regularly for them.  And, certainly pray for the upcoming election.  For 2016, Faith Radio released a prayer guide, and the principles continue to ring true.  It was an acrostic for the word, "ELECT."  The "E" was "Engagement," in accordance with Daniel 2:20b and 21.  We can pray for believers in Christ to engage in the process, for others to join in prayer for the upcoming election, and for Christians to be informed about the candidates.  This is certainly an area about which to be concerned, so that God's leaders and principles may be found in our government.