Perspective on Election Day

Dr. Jeff Carey: Good morning. As you all know, something very significant is happening in our country today.
The NFL trade deadline is 3 p.m.
And we are all, I know, desperately hoping the Cowboys will do something significant before that deadline.
Hallelujah, indeed. Let's pray.
No. Yeah, today, as Sam said, we're having an election in our country.
It's a significant election. And Josh asked me if I would speak on Election Day.
I would much rather have spoken on Reformation Day, but I got Election Day this year.
And so I want to just share a very brief word of encouragement to you.
And then we're going to get out of chapel pretty early today.
Thank you.
We've got slow students here. All right.
I want to share some encouraging words from Psalm 146 that I hope will just give us some perspective today.
Because I do think it's important for those who are Christian to take a Christian perspective about everything we do in life.
And I think this psalm offers us.
A particular way to think about what's going on in our country today.
And I'll just read about three of these verses here.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I will praise the Lord as long as I live and sing praises to my God all my life long.
Do not put your trust in princes.
I'm going to read that part again.
Do not put your trust in princes.
Do not put your trust in princes.
In humans.
In whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth.
On that very day, their plans perish.
But happy are those whose help is in the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.
Amen.
Amen.
Don't put your trust and your hope.
In princes.
In rulers.
Within this world.
And why are we told not to put our trust in them?
They die.
And here's a reminder to you.
Unless the Lord Jesus returns anytime soon, you're going to die too.
I told you this was going to be encouraging.
We're all going to die.
And it's easy for us to make too
much of these things it is not insignificant what's happening in our country today there are
real things at stake and it's good for us to be involved and be the best citizens we can be to
help the earthly city be the the best version of itself it can be but i want to remind you of what
this psalm says it says put your hope in god because god made heaven and earth he will keep
faith forever. We get this huge cosmic view of God from beginning to end. And sometimes we see
our little dot on this timeline and think that it all hangs on this moment. Sam said it very well,
and probably we should have just ended chapel there. No matter what happens today, God is still
going to reign and be in control. And that's really the message of this Psalm today. So it's
not to take away from real things that are at stake here, but it is to say those who are
followers of Christ need to keep things in perspective. Do not put your ultimate hope
in these things or your trust in these things. And as you leave, hear these words from the second
shortest Psalm in the Bible, and probably one of the hardest ones to keep.
Oh Lord, my heart is not lifted up. My eyes are not raised too high.
I do not occupy myself with things too great or too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul.
Like a weaned child with its mother.
My soul is like a weaned child that is with me.
Oh Israel, hope in the Lord.
Whatever happens today, God is still in control.
Don't put too much of yourself and your heart into this.
Your hope belongs with God.
Have a calmed and quieted spirit.
And I also hope the Cowboys do well today.
Go with God. You are dismissed.