Verse of the Day - Titus 3:1-2

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. ~ Titus 3:1-2 (NIV)

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We are approached a very historic occasion -- a black man is about to take the Presidential oath of office! When I think of the malice and hatred in this country just 40 or 50 years ago toward an entire race of people, this moment is truly to be pondered upon, to be reveled in! Though America still has issues, we have done some mending of the tears, some cleansing of the horrible blot on our national character that was shamefully exhibited in slavery, lynchings, segregation, and church burnings. I THANK GOD we have chosen to listen to God as a nation in this regard, even though so many don't even call on His name. God loves the whole world -- black people, white people, people of all colors. People from the East and West, North and South. God is the giver of all life and the Savior of all men's souls. We are all equal in the eyes of our Creator. And America has embraced, to a much greater degree, those Kingdom values.

Whether you voted for President-elect Obama or not, we are witnessing a turning of the page in our country, for many reasons. I am thankful that I don't see color when I look at his face, but rather a man, desiring to make a difference in our country. Whether his ideas will do all that he hopes they will do remains to be seen. But, isn't that always the way it is with a new President?

I didn't vote for Barack Obama in November, but he will now be the leader of my country, and I will give him respect because that is the right thing to do. It is the God thing to do. He has the hardest job in the world -- it will take a huge toll on him, as it has all others who preceded him. I wouldn't, in a million years, want his job! He needs our prayers and our encouragement as he seeks to lift us out of an economic recession, to manage the war in Iraq, and a million other struggles we face. On top of that, he is a dad of two young children, and being a dad is hard enough for the average guy. Like I said, he, and his family, need our prayers . . .

I know there are many people who are bad-mouthing Barack Obama. I don't know if it's because of the color of his skin (which most probably wouldn't admit to), or whether it's his political affiliations (which more would admit to), but as believers in Jesus Christ, we are called to be different than that, to be different than the world...

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men...

Can you imagine what our country -- and the world -- would look like if we took this admonition from the Lord to heart?

Love,
Joelene