While reflecting upon the day's events, I felt the Father impress some thoughts upon me. Some instructions for me in this season. Perhaps they will ring true for you as well.
What the Father had to say to me was two-fold:
1.     Keep focused on the one from whom our salvation comes.
2.     Stay focused on the task at hand without letting up or slowing down.
Carry Out the Last Set of Orders You Received
I think that it is safe to say that most people reading this would like to see a friendlier atmosphere towards people and things of faith and towards what most consider more traditional values. I sure would. Honestly, I always pray for our leaders to lead righteously, regardless of who they are. I continue with that prayer today. I have felt an urgency since the election results were posted with a sense that I should share it further than my small circle only coming today.
The warning: Do not be lulled to sleep by the prospect of easier times. Remain vigilant and work at your God-given tasks with all of your might. Don't pull up before the finish line.
As Paul urged so long ago: Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Eph 5:15-16
This reminds me of the days when Nehemiah oversaw the rebuilding of the temple, making good use of his favor with the King. The men vigilantly continued their tasks while being watchful, ready to defend against attack.
After I had made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives and your homes." When our enemies heard that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frustrated it, each of us returned to his own work on the wall. And from that day on, half of my servants did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers stationed themselves behind all the people of Judah who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me. Nehemiah 4:14-18
Make no mistake—we are at war—a war for the sake of our children and grandchildren. We fight against world systems and ideologies influenced by influential people and principalities seated in high places.
Like Josiah, we must dust off His words and study His statutes. Most importantly, we must DO what His word commands us to do. We must cut down the groves, burn the altars, and clean out the temple. We must return to the Word of God and use it as our plumbline. We must start in our own personal lives and our congregations.
I recall a commonly recited part of the liturgy in which we discuss the importance of reading the Torah. The leader or cantor says, "Let us learn in order to teach." The congregation responds, "Let us learn in order to do."
The Tasks at Hand
Staying focused on the basics, which, in my opinion, are the weightier matters, with the Father's help, we can help create positive atmospheres for those around us. This can have a beautiful ripple effect.
Caring for the widows, orphans, and those in prison. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Hebrews 13:3         Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. Psalm 68:5
Provide for the needy. Don't just say, "Be warm and fed!" Give them a coat and something to eat. If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? / Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth. 1 John 3:17-18
Defend the defenseless. Do not stand by and watch harm come to another if it is within your power to intervene. Do what we can to help them receive justice. Do so equally without placing others in a position to be victimized. Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9
Preach the good news. The real good news. demonstrated lovingly but not watered down. Without agenda or strings. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, Isaiah 61:1 (But seriously, read the whole chapter.)
Make disciples. Invest in others without hope of gain. Freely give of your experiences and wisdom, providing honest, loving instructions. Stick it out. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20
Bare each other's burdens, walk alongside each other and offer the support needed. Carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
Pray continuously for the saints. Pray for your enemies. Love your neighbor as yourself. Yes, even the ones that you disagree with. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:45
Show hospitality. Be genuine, building real relationships. Show hospitality to one another without complaining. / As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:9-10
Yeshua Never Said It Would be Easy
There is a famous quote from a novel by G. Michael Hopf: Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, weak men create hard times. If we are not careful to focus on God and do His Kingdom things, we can end up stuck in this trap. It is possible to experience the good times created by God's blessings without creating 'weak men.'
The account of Mt Ebal and Mt Gerizim give examples of this. God tells the children of Israel that if they follow His statutes, He will respond with the listed blessings. Equally, if they choose not to obey His statutes, they will receive the consequence of the curses.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:22-25
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoiced in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:1-4
Honor Where Honor is Due
Most importantly, we must keep our eyes on our Redeemer and follow only Him. Our Father does choose to work through us, His fallible creation, to bring about His purposes. Both the godly and the wicked are illustrated to us throughout scripture. We even see in scripture times when God has allowed a wicked plan to go on for some time before He says, "Enough!" Regardless of a person's behaviors, we should always be careful to focus on the Creator of all things, giving honor where honor is due. Scripture tells us, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."
I encourage you to seek the Father daily, asking Him to reveal to us any area in which we have put our trust in anyone or anything aside from Him. It can creep in so easily, especially when resources abound.
Pray for all of our leaders. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 1 Timothy 2:1-2
Closing thoughts
I do not claim to know what will happen in our country or our world in the coming years. I am no prophet. I am a mom who likes to keep things simple and practical. As such, I know there will always be those who approve of a decision and those who disapprove of the same. How we respond to those who see things differently from ourselves should be the same way we wish to be responded to in the same situation. In a way that brings life, not death, unity, not division, peace, not fear.
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. Proverbs 15:1-2
Righteousness can be sought and defended while mitigating damages. It does require more effort on our parts, but I think that the Kingdom is worth it, don't you?
Father, I come before you and humbly ask that you help me live in a way that brings honor and glory to your name, for I am your image bearer.
I therefore, the prisoner in the LORD, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and humility with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, being eager to keep unity of the Spirit in the bond of shalom. Ephesians 4:1
About Me:
Tina Fallstead is a wife and mother whose passion is to enable other women to become all that the Creator has created them to be. She is a member of the Cherokee Nation and is excited to be on the path of learning the ways of her ancestors. She and her husband are blessed to lead a congregation in their community called The Way of Life Ministries. Tina has recently launched a women's ministry called Geulah Gals, focused on 'Hastening the Geulah through serving the community alongside our sisters.