In Spite Of

As I pray for President Obama to come to a saving, life changing, transforming relationship with Jesus, I realize that few presidents in recent history really fit that description.  God was in the resume of many...but I never got the impression that many tried to determine His will  before they made  decisions....or gave Him credit after a particularly good decision.  God  just seemed to be a part of the resume....kind of like Rotary or the Chamber of Commerce.

I have been reading "No Ordinary Time," a book about the lives of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt between 1940 and 1945.

Franklin Roosevelt almost single handedly saved Britain in 1940 at the outset of World War II.   After the First World War , America was staunchly opposed to becoming entangled  in any European war ever again. Congress was deeply divided over any involvement, financial or otherwise, when Germany began to conquer surrounding countries.  They fell in rapid succession.  Britain was next.

350,000  British Expeditionary Forces were on the shores of Dunkirk, their backs to the sea.  German troops, fifteen miles away,  could clearly see the church tower as they moved in for the kill.  The prey was theirs for the taking.  Britain was toast.

Then for reasons no one could explain, Hitler decided to take a time out for three days to allow his troops to rest.  Clearly one of the major blunders of the war, it allowed Britain to rescue its troops with a tiny flotilla of anything that would float.  340,000 were rescued but all their equipment, tanks, weapons, jeeps, ammunition...all the accoutrements of war, were left behind.

Britain was in desperate straits.  Churchill pleaded for munitions, battleships, tanks.  Congress refused.  Roosevelt found an old statue to allow him to make an executive decision to send military surplus.  Army Chief of Staff George Marshall said he had to go to church and ask forgiveness for signing off on the list as surplus.  America's military  stores were severely depleted as well, there was no surplus....but the enemy was at the British gate. Tons of equipment was secretly collected and shipped.

The blitzkrieg began...British cities and factories were being bombed daily.   Again, Churchill begged for help.  Roosevelt presented Lend Lease to his advisors and by sheer force of his personality and ability to communicate to the American people,  he was able to push  legislation through Congress.  A bombed out Britain held fast.

For whatever reason, it was not in the will of God for Britain to fall into German hands.   God used a man he had placed in office in America to make major decisions that dramatically affected Britain.  Often Roosevelt stood alone with none of his advisors, much less Congress, supporting him.

Jesus prayed in John 12, "Now my soul is deeply troubled.  Should I pray, 'Father, save me from what lies ahead?' But that is the very reason why I came.  Father, bring glory to Your name."  And in John 13, He said, "God will receive glory because of all that happens to me."

If I embrace the fact that God has A Plan that has been unfolding  throughout  the ages, am I trying to rewrite it so I'll feel better?

If I look at the last American president, whom  I'm convinced knew Him, did  he seek Him before he made a decision or just ask His blessing once the decision was made?  No idea.  Did he always make wise decisions?  Nope.  Did he make some terrible decisions?  Yep.

I pray for Obama because I want him to know Him.  I want him to be specific about which god...Jesus' Father...that God.    I want the relationship to transform his life.   I want his family to know Him.  I want him to bring God glory.  I want it to be public.

Honestly, the bottom line if I'm really honest, is that maybe then I'll agree with and feel good about his decisions...I'll feel safer.

But.....I'm not sure that's a good reason.

My soul is deeply troubled with the direction of this nation and the leadership we have now.  So should I pray like Jesus did when He was troubled...."Father, save me from what lies ahead?"  or should I pray, "Father, bring glory to Your name?"

My take away from Roosevelt today is that God saved Britain at the hour of her greatest need, using one man He had strategically placed in America whose family was a mess, whose personal life gave no evidence of God involvement,  who believed in God, however, went to church at times, declared national days of prayer, gave public prayers but in no other way "fit" the present day evangelical church's model of a godly man.  But God surely used him in a history defining way.

 He uses whomever He chooses. He is not dependent on anyone...believer or nonbeliever.  Strong in the faith or one with one toe in.

Praying, "Father, bring glory to Your name," is unsafe.  What could bring glory to His name, what could be part of The Plan He is unfolding, could be devastating to the United States...which would affect ..... me.

Jesus' horrible death brought glory to His name.

Kind of separates the men from the boys doesn't it.