THE CONSUMMATE POLITICIAN

Every day from now til November we will be bombarded with political messages via television, yard signs, newspapers, internet, etc. Each one will be vying for their spot, saying whatever they have to say to win your vote. Who can you believe? Anybody? I seriously wonder. I'm not truly sure if I've ever met an HONEST politician.

I had my first real brush with how politicians play both sides of the fence back 10 or 15 years ago. The county school board was about to launch a sex education program in our local schools which promoted "Safe Sex". As parents, we were horrified, knowing that there is no such animal. We did not want this false message taught to our children, so ensued a tough battle to convince them to offer an abstinence based curriculum instead.

We worked tirelessly, trying to garner the support of each board member. We wrote letters, signed petitions, made speeches, and sought out those in high places that we thought could lend weight to our campaign. One particular state legislator from our area seemed very friendly and very much FOR what we were doing. "Just let me know what I can do to help you", he said. I told him he could show up at the county meeting in which parents were going to be allowed to address the Board. That was where we were going to make our BIG push and we needed as much clout on our side as possible. He assured me he'd be there.

The night came and each of us on the program stood before hundreds and spoke about things I NEVER dreamed I'd be discussing in mixed company. But I felt compelled to do so for the sake of not only MY children but for all the kids in our county and for our future grandchildren as well. Finally, it came time for this gentleman to speak. He rose and courteously addressed the members of the Board, calling many of them by name and recanting other times he had worked with them or had dealings with them. Then he gave reference to our issue and said the words I will never forget:

"Madam Chairman, I've listened to these fine folks and I just want to say to you that some of my friends are for you and some of my friends are against you and I'm for my friends."

I felt like someone had hit me in the stomach with a two-by-four! I was never so dumbfounded in my life, and never quite so angry as I was that night. That, my friends, was a true politician!

I read today of another true politician. His name was Nebuchadnezzar and he was the king of Babylon. The nation of Israel had been taken into captivity and King Neb had taken some of the finest young men from Judah and groomed them to serve him. One of those was Daniel. Daniel was God's man and God used him to accomplish HIS purposes. One day King Neb had a dream and none of his seers and magicians could tell him what his dream was nor what its interpretation was. They kept saying "Tell us the dream and we'll interpret it for you, but if you don't tell us the dream, how can you expect us to tell you what it means." (Daniel 2: 46) But that is precisely what the king wanted them to do. None of them could and they were all about to be executed when Daniel came on the scene. He told the king his dream and the interpretation of it. The king was so happy that he fell at Daniel's feet and proclaimed," Your God is indeed God of gods, Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries since you were able to reveal this mystery." (Daniel 2:47)

Now you would think that after such a bold statement that King Neb would have embraced Daniel's God and put an end to worshipping false gods. Unfortunately, that is NOT what happened. But.... God was not finished with old Neb. A couple of years later he had another dream. This was a very troubling dream. Again, Daniel was able to interpret it for the king. And immediately upon his interpretation, the dream began to come true. "He was driven away from his people. He ate grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky until his hair grew like eagles' [feathers] and his nails like bird's [claws]" (Daniel 4: 33)

I think God FINALLY got old Neb's attention this time for in verse 34 it tell us "But at the end of those days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity returned to me. THEN I praised the Most High and honored and glorified Him who lives forever.....Now I, Nebuchadnezzar praise, exalt, and glorify the King of Heaven because all His works are true and His ways are just. And he is able to humble those who walk in pride." (Daniel 4: 34-37)

Maybe we need to pray that God would put a few of our politicians out to pasture to eat grass like a cow for a few years. Then maybe, just maybe, they'd come back and be ready to honor Him and lead this country back to Him!!!