Devotional Thought of the Day:

¹What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 31:1 (NLT)

482    What does it matter if the whole world with all its power is against you? Forward! Repeat the words of the psalm: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? … Si consistant adversum me castra, non timebit cor meum—“If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear.”  (1)

As I was working out on Saturday, the televisions in the gym all had the announcement that another person was joining the competition to become the next President of the United States. Though I was listening to music, you could read the captioning of the new candidate, and the commentators critiquing his performance.

I hate politics, not because of the games, though I dislike them.  I hate what the politics reveal, that we are by nature idolatrous, and we will place our hope in candidates that meet our agenda, specifically whose promises could make our life better. Not sure how you define that, for everyone has a separate definition. But we defend our candidates as if they were our Savior, we promised. Anointed Deliverer from all things evil. We will fail to understand that our man is a sinner, just like his opponents, just like us.

And we will attack the competition, arguing that their promises are empty.  We will demonize them, condemn them, judge their followers as stupid, or blind, or if they can argue better than us, simply as evil. And there is no way their candidate could possible be a justified sinner, someone who follows and depends on Jesus, a man made righteous because Christ died for him (or her!)

Idolatry will grow over the next month, and we will all need to repent.  Those who are conservative, those who are liberal, and even those like me, who are more cynical and apathetic.  And our idols will let us down, either by losing the competition, or perhaps even more, if they win it, and e find their promises are nothing but air.

We need to stop trusting in mankind to save us, to make our lives good. Yes, we need to use wisdom and discernment in voting.  But what we have to avoid is replacing our hope that is in Christ, our trust that is in God the Father by entrusting ourselves to a man or woman, a vision or a article.

Our hope is greater than mankind can accomplish,  It was accomplished at the Cross, it was revealed as the Body of Christ was broken, as His precious blood was poured out, a sacrifice made on our behalf.  This hope is revealed in God’s love, in the promises that are never broken.  In the promises that are in our best interest, not just feeding our narcissism.

You see, if God is there, in our lives, if we are aware of it, if we depend on Him, then who wins the compteition for our vote in unable to steal our hope, our joy.  There is nothing they can do to separate us from what is most important – knowing Him, living loved by Him.   St Josemaria is correct, in Christ there is everything we have hope for!

So as you read the political stuff that will assault you, the propaganda and positions, continue to seek after God’s kingdom first, and dwell in His peace.

(1)  Escriva, Josemaria (2010-11-02). The Way (Kindle Locations 1179-1181). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.