Thursday, November 1, 2018

Martin Luther, a man for his time





This is something I posted on Facebook on November 1, 2017. As I watch the news this morning, it seems appropriate to post again. Five days from today, we go to the polls in what some are calling the most important mid-term elections of all time. No matter who wins or loses, there will be people unhappy with the way it turned out. I pray every day for those elections, but it is God who decides who He will allow to lead our country. That is true about our president, who will be in office for at least two more years. That is true for the Senate and Congress. That is true for every country in the world. Yes, we need to vote, but no matter what happens, God is in charge, and we need to trust Him


________________________________


Last night was the 500th anniversary of the day when Martin Luther nailed his 95 "talking points" to the door of the chapel (October 31, 1517). Thanks to the printing press & printers looking for interesting material to print and sell, they went "viral," and soon this obscure monk and his ideas were on the minds of many. It sparked a movement that changed the world.

As I sat in church last night, reviewing what I knew about Luther, it occurred to me that he was a man for his time. God used him mightily, but he was loud, sometimes crude and about as far from a diplomat as you could get. And yet, had he been less strong, even less brash, perhaps, he would not have stood as he did, and the Reformation might never have happened.

If Twitter had been at his disposal, I can only imagine the tweets that Luther would send. (This might give you some idea: https://churchpop.com/2014/08/10/29-of-martin-luthers-most-hiliariously-over-the-top-insults/)

God's choice of leaders may not always fit what we think we want, but He knows what we need. Our job is to trust Him with that.