Romans 16:18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

Sadly, this is a phenomenon we see all too often today. It is ironic, but honest people are often the most easy to deceive, because they don’t imagine that someone is trying to deceive them. This is precisely what Jesus was warning against when He told us, “Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16) We ourselves are to be totally straightforward and honest, but we must not assume that others will be the same. The current election is certainly a case in point. As Bill Whittle has said, with the exception of legitimate, requested absentee ballots, we are to the point of needing not only photo ID but also indelible ink to mark the index finger (or whatever) of each person who has voted. As Paul says here, being naive can get you into real trouble. He says in the next verse, “I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” Paul mentions both the motive and the tools of devious people: their appetites, and smooth, flattering words. The whole “sexual revolution,” going back to the ’60s, is clearly a glorification of appetite, and the wholesale acceptance and support of abortion, even infanticide, is the logical result. You can call it “a slippery slope,” or “the camel getting his nose in the tent,” or whatever, but the current situation didn’t happen overnight. The Church has been effectively asleep at the wheel, failing to stand for Biblical principles, a Biblical world view, because frankly, too often that was lacking even within the Church. I believe the legal challenges to all the election irregularities will prevail this time, but this has been a crescendo building for a long time. We must be innocent but not naive, standing for truth and speaking it in love. That is certainly not politically correct, but frankly, political correctness has been one of the major tools used by the enemy, because it directly goes against honest communication.

This is obviously something I am pretty worked up over. I pray that more of God’s people would be so as well! I do need to rest, relax, and rejoice in the assurance that God is still God, but that doesn’t mean being lazy, and/or turning a blind eye to evil. Government isn’t sovereign, but rather is a reflection of the people governed. We need to pray and work for righteous government, but we also have to work for righteousness on the personal level as well. We can’t change others, much less legislate righteousness, but we can keep ourselves in obedient submission to the Lord Jesus Christ. I’ve got to walk the fine line of active trust, not condoning or overlooking evil, but not letting my heart be troubled, either. That’s not something I can do in my own wisdom and strength! I am to seek God’s guidance at every turn, knowing that He is indeed sovereign, and He delights in those who fear Him.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. Thank You for the missionary from Hong Kong who wants to contribute to President Trump’s legal defense fund. That is a clear indication of the magnitude of the current situation. I pray that Your children would indeed wake up and resist the devil, not just in the current crisis but in their daily lives, bringing the revival that America so desperately needs. Thank You. Praise God!