Barack Obama: President Elect- Change You Can Believe In

Barack Obama, a bi-racial man having a white mother and a black father, is the youngest man ever to hold the highest position of Commander-in-chief. Barack Obama will soon occupy the oval office as the 44^th President of the United States of America.

Barack, used the campaign slogan, "Change You Can Believe In". With a landslide victory, men and women will now look forward the hundreds of changes that were promised by all of Obama's speeches.

Can any man actually promise to change America? How much power does Barack Obama have to make change? Where does change come from and who is able to keep promises?

When a man promises to bring change remember- Ecclesiastes 1:9 " The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."

What this verse is saying is that in 6000 years, there is nothing new under the sun. There is nothing that has not already taken place in the hearts of men.

God talks about what is really in the heart of man in Jeremiah 17:9 " The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

Much of politicking involves pleas for folks to believe all of the promises each candidate say they will bring in hopes of gaining a powerful position-the highest one we have in America.

It is God who orchestrates all that happens no matter what changes take place. It does not matter who is in power. God is not limited because one man got into office over another man. There are no altering God's plans and purposes. There has never been one event during the course of this world's existence that has altered God's purposes. Sometimes God's purpose is to bless and sometimes God's purpose is to judge. But ultimately God has an eternal plan that supercedes anything that we experience on this earth.

The Bible says, "For I am the LORD, I change not;" Malachi 3:6

Hebrews 13:8 says of Christ who is God, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever."

God preserves His own plan for man by using people. God did this when there didn't seem to be any human remedy in sight. Ultimately God shows his power in every situation, by any means He chooses.

Two examples in scripture come to mind that show God orchestrating His purposes through people.

I'll give you a brief synopsis of these two examples.

One example is shown through Joseph. Joseph was thrown into a pit by his jealous brothers and then sold to the Ishmaelites. "Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they (the Ishmaelites) brought Joseph into Egypt." Gen 37: 28

Years later there was a famine in the land and Joseph's father, Jacob, sent his sons into Egypt where food was available. Unbeknownst to them, they were now at the mercy of their brother Joseph who had been exalted to the position as governor over Egypt. Jacob's sons didn't know they were approaching their own brother Joseph whom they had once plotted to kill and sold to the Ishmaelites.

Once Joseph revealed himself to them he says, "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life." "So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God:" Gen 45:5 &8"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." Gen 50:20

No matter what wickedness was intended by man, God had a purpose for Joseph -to be able to help God's people in their time of need. Although all didn't run perfectly smooth for Joseph during all this time, he proved himself worthy of the great position to which he was appointed. Joseph met the need of his own family because it was a part of God's plan.

Another example of God orchestrating His plan was through Esther. Esther was a young Jewish girl who was taken captive with all the other young women of the land over the 27 Providences in which King Ahasuerus reigned. Esther, changing her name from Haddasah (a Jewish name), was among those from whom King Ahasuerus would chose his new queen.

After Esther was selected as the new Queen, a wicked man named Haman convinced King Ahasuerus to kill all the Jews. King Ahasuerus was unaware that his new Queen was a Jew because she had changed her birth name.

Trusting the Lord, Esther's uncle Mordecai encourages Esther and tells her "For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? "Esther4:14

God's purpose was quite different from King Ahasuerus or Haman's. God's purpose was to use Queen Esther to save the Jewish people.

In both of these examples, things looked bleak for the children of God, but God eventually revealed why these bad situations happened. God is always in control no matter what earthly authorities we find ourselves under. The fact that we can read of these and so many other accounts from our Bibles is one of the greatest encouragements to our faith that we have.

God also accomplishes His purposes through those who are not His children.

One example is Pharaoh. "For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth." Rom 9:17

Esau is another example. (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Rom 9: 11, 13

"...I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Romans 9:15,16

When a man promises to bring change, remember Proverbs 21:1 "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will."

Man does not have any power or control above what God gives him. God not only is controlling man but God controls Satan. Scriptures tell us when Satan was testing Job that God put limitations on what Satan could do to Job.

Job 2:6 "And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life."

My suggestion for all the believers of God's truth is to turn off the tv and open your Bibles and read. Learn more about God's plan of redemption and stay close to him.

Quit looking to man and man's media to assure you of your future. Learn more about God's plan of redemption and stay close to Him. God's protection during perilous days comes to the obedient.

Ecclesiastes 12:13" Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

The book of Malachi has much to say to those who belong to God. It is only God's promises you can count on. Change is coming, but not through man. Look up and trust God.

Malachi 3:16" Then they that feared the LORD spoke often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. "

Malachi 3:17 " And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. "

Malachi 3:18 " Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not."