ONE SPARK IN A DRY FOREST
James 4:3
You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
People often say, “What difference can one person make?” Let me ask you, what difference can one spark make in a dry forest? You can make a lot of difference. One way you make a difference is by your vote. Christians who do not vote are shunning their responsibility to be a voice for righteousness in the public square. Your vote can be a protest against an ungodly worldview and an endorsement of the biblical worldview. But you must be informed to cast your vote for righteousness and justice. You need to know what the values of the kingdom of God are in order to cast a vote for the party, person, or platform that best reflects those values. I am often asked this question: “Why do I need to vote if God has already decided who is going to win or lose?” I usually answer that by asking another question: “Why bother to pray if you know that God is going to do what He wants to do anyway?”
Of course there are things that God has decided He will do. And there are things He has decided He will not do. But in between those two lines are a whole group of things God might do, but He has decided that He will only do them in response to His people’s prayers. So if you don’t pray, you don’t get them (James 4:3). There are also certain things that God is willing to do in a society, but He won’t do them until we as Christians take up our responsibilities in that society. Our actions can determine which way God will move.
REFLECTION: List five ways one person can make a difference. List five people to whom you make a difference. How has God called you to be more proactive in ministering to others? Father, show me how I am to make a difference in my nation. Teach me to pray more effectively for our governing leaders and open the door for me to serve You in whatever capacity You would have me do so.
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