Psalm 146:3-5
3
Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
4
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
5
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
It is tempting to put a very high level of faith in a leader. Sometimes a person may even feel that a leader can do no wrong. But, just saying that out loud should highlight the problem with that idea. There is no such thing as a leader who is perfect. All human beings are sinners, including all leaders. Due to their position, leaders are prone to pride, serious errors, and terrible consequences for their nation. History is full of leaders who, confident of themselves, caused misery and death to millions of their followers, their friends, and people in surrounding countries. Having their deeply held principles based on falsehood, their decisions run from bad to worse.
Despite this sad reality, idolizing leaders is something that still goes on in the world — it seems now more than ever. How could this happen? Some leaders just make mistakes, like anyone else. But, in some cases, the leader has knowingly, or unknowingly given himself or herself over to evil. Such a leader will refuse to recognize God’s authority revealed in God’s Word. In place of God’s authority that leader claims God’s place. He or she will dictates falsehood and suppressed God’s Word and anyone who speaks out. Mounting evil consequences are either suppressed or ignored.
This has been the situation in the world in the past, and it will continue to be our plight until the Lord’s return to judge the living and the dead. On judgement day leaders will be held accountable for their sins and especially the harm they have caused to God’s people. To strengthen our hearts, God has given us this Word so that we will avoid idolizing human leaders. God here encourages us when earthly matters are dark and troublesome, reminding us that He puts limits on the evil that evil leaders can do.
Instead of failed humanity, the Word of God points us to Jesus, true God and true Man. Only Jesus gives salvation. Like no other leader, Jesus bore all the evil consequences of sin. He offered the perfect sacrifice for sin through His death on the cross for our forgiveness. He took our sins, and our death to the cross and removed them from us forever. He is the one who can give salvation. No other leader can take Jesus’ place.
And should we be called to bear witness to God during the rule of an evil leader, though we will most certainly suffer, we will not lose heart. God puts a limit on human evil. As the scriptures record, “When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.” God puts a limit on evil, and evil leaders. Though they seem invincible, they are only human and will soon pass away, to await God’s judgement.
Fellow redeemed, in Jesus is eternal salvation. Put your trust in Him, and you will have eternal life.
Let us pray,
O Holy Spirit, enlighten my thinking and help me to have a pure and undivided faith in the Triune God. Strengthen my faith each day, and encourage me in troubled times with the knowledge of your control over all things, the limits you have set on wickedness and most of all your victory over all evil and the joy of the resurrection to eternal life. I pray in Jesus name. Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come,Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.