Dear Friend,
Although thirty-five years have passed since leaving my homeland, I’m still keenly interested in the politics of the UK today. You’ll not be surprised to learn that I’ve been following the discussions and debates about Brexit. (You may need to Google that!) On March 29, Great Britain is to formally withdraw from membership in the European Union. I will not disclose my personal views for fear that some of my Dutch or German friends may disown me. Suffice to say that this has been the hottest political potato faced by the British parliament in the last 50 years.
When I’m tempted to become unsettled by the political and cultural crises of our time, I like to remind myself of the observation made by one of the Puritans: “Providence is a soft pillow.” In the early hours of the morning before my feet have hit the floor, I often pray the prayer Jesus taught His disciples. This reminds me that I have a Father in heaven who rules over the affairs of the nations and that my focus is to be upon His kingdom. Earthly kingdoms rise and fall, and leaders come and go, but the kingdom of God cannot be shaken. When I think about the world in which our grandchildren are growing up, I find encouragement in considering Daniel. What a spiritual grounding he and his friends must have enjoyed enabling them to live as they did under the rule of a temporary kingdom in anticipation of one that is eternal.
Our present series on the kingdom of God reminds us that all the twists and turns of nations and leaders are under the jurisdiction of the Lord of history. Viewing Scripture through a wide-angle lens, as it were, we learn from the past that when we cannot see God’s hand in the present, it is not because He is absent but because He is working in a way yet to be revealed. One day the earth will be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea (Hab. 2:14).
So, instead of allowing my fixation with Brexit to make me fearful, I want it to make me prayerful. The Bible exhorts us to pray for our leaders. Even when things do not appear to be unfolding in answer to our prayers, we soldier on, anticipating the day when we will no longer see dimly but will know even as we are known.
Keep looking up!
With my love in the Lord Jesus,
PS. Our two books this month, In the Year of Our Lord and God’s Timeline, are wonderfully helpful in understanding how God is at work in building His kingdom. I encourage you to request a copy of each to add to the library that you’re building so that your children may, like Daniel and his friends, be grounded in the truth.