God is sovereign over history

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This is a thought-provoking essay by missionary Roger Oliver, published this week on the Chalcedon blog:

https://chalcedon.edu/blog/does-god-use-the-lesser-of-two-evils-to-advance-his-kingdom

Before we know it another presidential election campaign will be upon us–actually, it’s already started–pitting President Donald Trump against some socialist wack-job put up by the Democrats. And once again we’ll be hearing from “the Righteous Candidate or nobody!” crowd.

Consider King Cyrus, founder of the Persian Empire, whom God through Isaiah called His “anointed.” Cyrus was not a Jew, not a believer, but God raised him up to greatness; and he served God by restoring the Jews to their homeland and commanding the rebuilding of the Temple. I’m not the only one who sees a bit of Cyrus in our current president.

Cyrus had his faults. He developed a bad cases of conqueror’s syndrome, and at the end it got the better of him. Reaching for too much, he lost all–even his life. But his service to God lived on after him.

I was going to vote for Trump in any event, given the alternative. But I’m very glad I cast that vote–and I don’t think many people truly appreciate what God spared our country when he raised this man to be our president.

I don’t call him God’s anointed. Donald Trump makes no such pretensions. “[T]hat,” writes Mr. Oliver, “distinguishes Donald Trump from his predecessor.”

And how!

This is the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Irkutsk, Siberia, and this is the music of its bells.

Built in the 17th century, the cathedral survived 70 years in the Godless Soviet wasteland, the communists having shut down religious services and converted it into a bread factory.

When I was growing up, there was no hope whatsoever that the Soviet Union would ever pass away. But it did! I was still in bed when Patty came running upstairs with the news: “There is no more Soviet Union!” It was as if God had simply plucked it off the table.

He can do things like that.

And the bells, so long silent, ring again. God hears them. He did not forget them, nor His people who were waiting for the day when they could hear them, too.