Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good
    and good evil,
who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter.

It’s interesting how much more compact this verse is, written out in Japanese versus English, because each of the concepts mentioned has its own individual character, rather than needing to be written out with several letters. However, that’s irrelevant to the actual meaning of the verse. Sadly, we are seeing this verse displayed all around us, though thankfully, we are finally seeing some kickback against it. The people who are insisting that homosexual relationships are normative, that childlessness is desirable, and that children should be mutilated on the basis of emotional trauma are pathetic, and the spirit behind all of that is manifestly evil. It seems like America is experiencing a famine of common sense! The point is not to attack those who are so deluded, but it is certainly to stand firm against them and not back down. That can be risky, as people are enduring fines and even prison sentences for such logical behavior. Thankfully, America is still a constitutional republic, and there is a major election around the corner. The imperative is for those who know the truth to express their convictions, legally and peacefully, in such numbers that illegal tricks will be overwhelmed by legal votes. The thing is, reasonable people are needed in all levels of government, because the nation is far too big to be run by just a few people – though some try! Even such lowly positions as local school boards are of vital importance, as has been demonstrated recently. Japan had a major election yesterday, and sadly people were ignorant of the positions and policies of some of the “down ticket” candidates, and simply didn’t make a choice in several cases. That shows what a tremendous service is done by the groups in America who carefully make comparison tables of all the candidates, not telling people for whom to vote but making sure people know what they’re voting for. In all of this we need to remember that God is still God and His truth never changes, but we are to be agents of His truth, so that His kingdom may come as His will is done by us, right in our own local situation, for His glory.

My absentee ballot for the US was mailed as soon as it was legally possible. Yesterday I was asked if I had voted in the Japanese election, and some people were surprised that I can’t vote here. I’m happy to say that all the Japanese in the church seem to have voted early, since elections are held on Sundays in Japan, but some said they left some positions unmarked, such as judgeships, because they knew nothing about either candidate. I was saddened by that, and I pray for non-partisan organizations to rise up in Japan to do the candidate comparisons that are often available in the US. And I certainly pray for the vote-counting mechanisms to be honest, and for God’s plans to be advanced. God is not dependent on human beings, but He certainly uses them. I am to pray not only for those in authority but also for those who want to be in authority, so that God’s truth may prevail.

Father, thank You for this reminder. This verse was extremely timely! Help me be the agent of Your truth, Your kingdom, Your will, that You want me to be, for the blessing of those around me and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!