Zechariah 9:12 Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope;
even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

This is one time the Japanese translation loses some of the poetic impact of the English, because it says, “prisoners who have hope.” “Prisoners of hope” seems much more impactful to me! That said, the implication is still clear. This is talking to people who haven’t given up completely. We get into all sorts of messes, some of our own making and some simply circumstantial, but we are never to lose hope. As Solomon noted, “Anyone who is among the living has hope—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!” (Ecclesiastes 9:4) The thing is, our hope needs to be founded on the only One who never changes, because everything else is unreliable. This can be tricky, because hope isn’t just wishful thinking. True hope isn’t just a matter of what we want, but the assurance of the character of the One who created us, who loved us so much He sent His Son to die in our place, taking the penalty for our sins that separated us from Him. When we have that assurance, everything else fades into the background, regardless of how important it might seem in the moment. Today is Election Day in the US, and millions of people are caught up in expectation and/or apprehension. It’s not that the election is unimportant, but rather that it can’t hold a candle to the glory of God. Believers are to be focused on praying that God’s will be done, as well as submitting themselves to be instruments of that will, be it elections or constitutional amendments or whatever, because God’s plans are always better than man’s, regardless of the issue.

I got my absentee ballot in a while back, and I will be watching the results with great interest. However, I’ve got to keep it all in perspective, remembering that this world and its systems are temporary, regardless of how long I personally experience them. I am to remain in prayer, and at the same time be responsive and faithful in every task the Lord has for me personally. We just had the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted, and that is also a huge issue. Some issues I am to relate to only in prayer, and in some I am more actively involved, but the point is to stay focused on my Lord and be faithful in my obedience to Him. When He uses me, nothing is impossible!

Father, thank You indeed for the hope that I have in Christ Jeus my Lord. Help me share that hope with as many as will receive it, so that Your kingdom may indeed come, one person at a time, as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!