November 10, 2024 - INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE HEART

By Abby Cheng 

This past week, the 60th United States presidential election was held, and I'm sure we all heard who won that by now. Whether or not you're elated or grieved by the results, I hope we can learn some lessons from our passage in Habakkuk this week about the world we live in and the world that Jesus promises us upon His return to earth. 

The political world has always been marked by intense rivalries and outright conflict between parties or nations throughout the history of mankind. In North America today, the conflict seems to have trickled down to the individual level in that, for many people, the political party another person supports determines whether or not they can even coexist with them. I've seen countless people on social media immediately disparage others based solely on whether they consider themselves a Conservative, Liberal, Republican, or Democrat. I hope and pray that, as Christians living in this charged political climate, we can stand out from the rest of the world and live out our primary identity as citizens of God's kingdom.  

Our main verse today in Habakkuk talks about the righteous living by their faithfulness to God. I think one of the most radical ways we can demonstrate that is to love our political rivals the way Jesus loves them. True love for others is being honest about God’s holiness and standard for right living but is always paired with compassion and mercy. We remember that our enemies are not the people who disagree with us, but rather the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).   

There is so much more that can be said about this topic but I'll leave you with a reminder of God’s sovereignty and His promise for the future: 

Daniel 7:13-14 NLT 

As my (Daniel's) vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.