Psalm 20
Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
Those nations will fall down and collapse,
but we will rise up and stand firm. Psalm 20:7-8 (NLT)
In 1993 Grace Church sent a team of 32 people to Russia for a two-week missions trip. We were invited by the Russians because they wanted us to teach Christianity in their summer camps. Their concern was that with the failure of socialism the people would not have a moral foundation for their lives. What we discovered is that after 70 years of socialism the nation and the people's souls were bankrupt. I will never forget the first time we read the Bible to them. It was a room of 40 young people and they were making a lot of noise. But the moment we said we were going to read the Bible a reverent hush came over them. They gave us their undivided attention as we read the most dangerous book in the world to them. For the past 70 years the Bible had been outlawed as a treacherous book in Russia, for it taught that God, not man, was the ultimate reality in life.
As we enter an election year, I am surprised that so many younger Americans are increasingly attracted to socialism. I think the reason this is occurring is that the church has largely avoided any discussion of politics with the rhetoric becoming so nasty these days. But I also believe most young people have not heard the stories of socialistic failures. No one has told them about the largest socialistic experiment with the Russian people. Given these realities, it is no wonder there has been a re-emergence of interest in socialism among the younger generation.
Psalm 20 warns us of placing our faith in anything outside of God. All systems, including capitalism, will fail if we ignore God. But today we do not hear this message. We need to relearn the pitfalls of what Jacque Ellul called "the political illusion," the belief that all problems are political and therefore require a political solution. You can hear the "political illusion" in every campaign ad. Elect me and I will solve all your problems.
As Christ followers we are called to trust God first and not pin our hopes on a candidate. This year all of us need to be involved in the political process because elections have consequences. But the only "Messiah" we have is one who came 2,000 years ago. Put your ultimate trust in Him.
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