“Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God…” – Psalm 146: 3-5

IT IS INTERESTING to note as to why verse three contains the word princes; why not kings as they convey greater prominence? The New American Standard Bible has “nobleman” instead of princes contained in most versions. Another way to view princes here in context is it describes anyone of great influence, or rather the use of nuances to arrive at what the psalmist is aiming at. Let us also be mindful when  Christ was referred to as, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Needless to say, that what the psalmist is bringing to our attention is, that no matter how powerful any man may be, they are not worthy of trusting when it comes to the care of our souls, or where our souls are heading. No man can ever take the place of our Great Redeemer and Physician.

We’ve all been prone at times to trust in others, especially those who have exceptional integrity and genuine caring personalities. Some of us have learned the hard way in coming to the realisation of being let down or hurt by those we’ve counted on, and that’s not always the deliberate fault of the other party; we’re all human and fail, but it certainly points us to the One Who alone is worthy of our implicit and unwavering trust.

Not to exclude other parts of the world, but for most citizens in America, November 6th 2024 will remain a memorable day for many years to come as the 47th President overwhelmingly won the election. It was a  joyous day of tears, laughter, and great relief.

The most recent newly elected President’s influence will not be confined to the United States alone; it will impact the entire globe. Hailed as the last bastion of freedom, America remains a country where freedom of speech, in the name of rightful liberty, exists without impending threat of arrest or imprisonment; with hope, the rightfully (without fraud) elected President will have positive ramifications worldwide countering real terrorism of tyranny by so-called leaders – seen and unseen – who give the impression they are there for, “We The People” while everything of the opposite spectrum irrefutably reveals otherwise.

There have been countless genuine believers – though few in number, in ratio to the colossal size of America’s continent – who have longingly interceded that God again would have mercy upon her. That is not excluding other’s praying from other countries. There is no doubt that such believers walk with God, and have rejoiced over the chosen 47th President, but their hope is centred in God, not man, no earthly power, or prestige of lofty position.

God has had mercy in answering prayer, and it is not so much the man with all of his flaws, as to what he achieved in his last presidency that speaks of some of the attributes a President ought to be made of. Again, we are not considering a flawless man – far from it (there is only ONE Who is perfect); we’re remembering what and how much he accomplished that set him out as the most unprecedented President in US history.

That being said, the focus is not about Donald Trump; it goes way beyond this, and is something I have to share. This is a time of rejoicing, but with it also is issued a loving warning.

The ‘war’ has just begun. A major victory has been won, but it is far from over;  victory gained does not necessarily entail all is well. Do not be deceived and be lulled into a false sense of security.

Now is the time more than ever to seek God. The temptation is to become lax, complacent and prayerless. Spiritually, so many people seemed more attuned when matters were desperate on the 5th November (a day before election results). Israel (in the Old Testament) had her prayers answered; deliverance came; relief gave way to ease and they sank back to where they forfeited their destiny, and some their souls.

We see the next elected president as a mercy of God, and God has been merciful, but there is a vital lesson in this which we could so easily miss at our peril; this ought to spur us on more than ever to seek and know the King of kings like we’ve never known Him before. The recent mercy of God is a given glorious opportunity to pursue Him in a way that this generation has never known. We are desperately in need of another Great Awakening, or another Protestant Reformation that took place over five-hundred years ago and shook the world. Oftentimes God spurs on His people through serious adversity and persecution; America has been spared very gently by God, and there may never come another opportunity.

We all know that to trust man is not the answer and yet  in practice some do not prove it. From where do we really get our peace and security? The first New Testament Christians knew peace and stability when the Roman Empire was barbaric, imprisoning and putting to death believers who hailed and clung to Jesus Christ alone as Lord and King.

Whether or not Trump is truly spiritually regenerate is another matter – and we ought to be praying for his salvation if he is not. Trump is likened to Cyrus mentioned in Isaiah chapter forty-five; God used him greatly, but God was Israel’s Redeemer, not Cyrus – just as Trump is not America’s redeemer; Christ is America’s Redeemer.

These next coming years of ease – so we assume – are to be years of preparation; they are to be years of brokenness before God, breaking up the fallow ground, and seeking a new visitation from Him until He comes – and yes, in this time of ‘victory’ and temporary relief. I vividly remember Leonard Ravenhill once saying, “Either we learn to concentrate in prayer or we’ll be praying in concentration camps.”  We ought not to be praying for our constitution to be restored, but rather that God’s name be honoured, revered and known Who gave the US constitution its root and verve.

Oh! Great Britain, we cannot leave you out! A nation that has encountered more revivals than any other nation worldwide, and now you are apostate. We now face the repercussions of throwing God out of our nation. The warnings given by Francis Schaeffer forty years ago are now witnessed in our churches and society. Not even our cities echo what God once did, let alone having conversations and expressing longings with tears in our eyes for God to come among us again!

America’s need of the hour is not Trump but God Himself. As Leonard Ravenhill once said, “The answer is not in the White House but in GOD’S House”

We have not learned in our ‘desperation’ to truly seek God if we take a back seat assuming now the future of our nation is ‘going’ to be secure; we ought to accelerate our yearning for God and become more importunate to hear God, to know Him answering prayer. It is more than that – it is seeking God in such way that our very lives become prayer.

Listen with your heart to the sons of Korah in Psalm 46: 1-3, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling” and why? Because God was their Rock. How would we fair if President Trump had lost the election? What state would we find ourselves in? Seriously think about it – and there reveals where our hearts are based – in God or in man.

In Whom Is Our Trust? – Part Two here