Credit where it's due

I'll be the first to admit I'm not really a Trump fan.  I do appreciate his ability to rear good children who don't drink, smoke, or do drugs, and work hard.  Hat's off to him. Anyone who's reared children know what a great feat he has accomplished.

When he first announced his candidacy, I thought he had a lot of really good things to say.  I also had this feeling he might just be the next President. As time went on, however, I respected him less and less.  I don't like his thin skinned whining when someone points out his imperfections,  I don't like his foul language.  I don't like his attacks on other candidates.  I don't like how he hogs the media attention.  We've already had a President like that. I especially don't like his indefinite answers on specific policies. That's just for starters.

But, I digress. Yesterday, I was listening to the radio in the car and a woman called in to say she tried to contact Donald Trump without ever expecting to hear back from him.  The first number she called was a wrong number but the person she talked to gave her another number, which she called and figured that was the end of the matter.  Imagine her surprise when one of Trump's people called her back and impressed her with courtesy and interest in what she had to say. Her thoughts?  She said, "That's a man who runs a tight ship."  Good for him.  It's pretty obvious that he does run a tight ship.  He wouldn't have been able to take that million dollars his dad gave him and turn it into 9+ billion.  That's a major accomplishment in anyone's book.

On the other hand, there's more to life than getting rich. Yesterday, I was reading Psalm 52.  Verses 7 - 9 brought Mr. Trump to mind.  Verse 7 says, "Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others." Sound familiar?  He is supposed to have said he never felt the need to ask God's forgiveness for anything.  Really?  If he said and believes that, I feel sorry for him.

Someday, we will all stand before a holy God and give account of our lives.  In contrast, verses 8 and 9 say, "But I am like an olive tree nourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise You forever for what You done; in Your name I will hope, for Your name is good.  I will praise You in the presence of the saints."

Therefore, if I have a relationship with Jesus Christ - and I do - no matter who is elected President, I will trust in God's unfailing love. I will praise Him for what He's done. Having said that, I have to say I'm praying God will show mercy to America and choose a good leader for us. Yes, we elect our leaders, but God is Sovereign and will see to it that our next President will fulfill His purpose.

No matter who God chooses, we need to be praying fervently for our leaders.  The ones we have now and the ones we will have in the near future. We also need to be praying that we, as a people, will be willing to follow a good leader.  The Old testament talks about good kings and stiff-necked people who wouldn't follow. We're terribly divided and very angry.  Fearful, too.  Unfortunately, that says more about America's relationship with Jesus Christ than we'd like to admit.  President Obama said we are not a Christian nation.  His reasoning was way off base, but our behavior may bear out his offensive words.

Mr. Trump, whether you like it or not, I will pray for you.  Not because I am such a wonderful person, or even because you don't believe you need God's forgiveness - the only way to salvation - but I will pray for you and all our candidates because God is worthy of my trust, my obedience, my devotion, and my praise. In that way, I will give credit where it's due.