Shade Tree Wisdom 1/30/14

          Yesterday the winter blast we were preparing for hit Georgia instead, leaving motorists in the Atlanta area stranded with icy road conditions. There are stories of people taking 10 hours to move several miles, others gathered at service stations until help arrived, etc. Then there is the item about a school boy whose bus was stuck at school, getting out and simply walking home. It took about an hour. Done during daylight, and he was in touch with his mother by cell phone.

          And Mr. Obama delivered his State of the Union message, derided by many, received blandly by some, cheered by others, and really offering no great plan to move this country forward, or hold out a goal for us to work for or achieve.

          It really reminded me of what St. Paul urged centuries ago, “Submission to the Authorities. 1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” Romans 13. 1-7

          Indeed, the times cry out for fervent prayer for those who serve us in government. And recent events weather-wise have shown us again we are indeed in the hands of God. The same God who promised to hear us and always give us what we need. And what we need, of course, is a Savior, Jesus Christ, who died to save us from sin. Then that we might here live “A quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”

          May God grant us this in Jesus’ name. Amen

GPD 1/30/14