Out of This World

After this last debate I found myself sinking into feelings of despair. "Really, Lord?  These two immoral, corrupt, ego-driven, power-hungry people are the only choices we have?" 

I know I'm not alone. I know so very many of God's people feel at a loss because there is no one Godly to vote for. So I am compelled to share with you what He spoke to me when I cried out to Him.

He said, "I have told you these things so that in ME you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world."

I went to John 16:33, where I knew those words to be - and then He said to me, "Read on and I will show you more."  I have read John 17 so many times - but never before have some of those verses been so powerfully quickened to me - perhaps because never before have we been in a time where we so desperately needed to understand what He was saying to us. This time, reading John 17, His words were spoken DIRECTLY to me, so that I would come to the full knowledge that I AM NOT OF THIS WORLD.  Neither are you, brothers and sisters in Messiah. So hear these words anew as Yeshua prayed them to His Father:

"I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me OUT OF THE WORLD. They were Yours, You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your Word. Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You. For I gave them the words You gave Me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me. I pray for them. I AM NOT PRAYING FOR THE WORLD, BUT FOR THOSE YOU HAVE GIVEN ME, FOR THEY ARE YOURS." (John 17:6-9)

"I have given them Your Word, and the world has hated them, for THEY ARE NOT OF THE WORLD ANY MORE THAN I AM OF THE WORLD.  My prayer is not that You take them out of the world, but that You protect them from the evil one. THEY ARE NOT OF THE WORLD, EVEN AS I AM NOT OF IT."  (John 17:14-16)

I sat in astonishment thinking about this: I am not of the world anymore than the Son of God is of it! I am one of those who has accepted His Word with all my heart. Now I am just asked to stand on it and believe His promises. I am still IN this dark world, but I can no longer have my focus there.  Yeshua does not even have HIS focus there - as He said in these verses; He is praying for those the Father has given Him! He is praying for US! He is protecting us! He knows EXACTLY what is going to happen in this election, and He is not concerned about us, for we are not of the world. He is our King - and we are His.

As these truths began to be deeply inscribed on my heart, everything seemed to change - and then the words of an old hymn that I love came flooding back into my soul and bringing me total peace:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim
In the Light of His glory and grace!

"I have told you these things so that in ME you may have peace."
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