Better Than the Comfort of Chocolate
Thursday - November 5th
Day 5: Attitude of Gratitude
Scripture to Read Today: Psalm 146:1-10
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God.
Psalm 146:5
Our daughter Katie works as the Assistant Political Director at the Japanese Consulate in Chicago. The Chicago Consulate of the Japanese Foreign Ministry serves as the D.C. Japanese Embassy emissary in 10 upper Midwest states. Katie's role is to help the consulate team understand how local, state, and national political events might affect Japan's business and other relationships in those ten states. Of the ten states, three were key toss-up states in this year's election.
Part of her daily task had been to predict trends, patterns, and outcomes for various races - including the presidential race. You can imagine how challenging that would be!
Katie's a political junky like her dad. So she has been working long hours and into the night. She takes seriously how she interprets American political concepts to representatives of Japan.
Monday night, I asked Katie about what she thought would happen in Tuesday's election. She said that she had given her final thoughts to the Counsel General and his team. Now, she just had to see what the election on the next day would bring. She told me she was tired, wasn't sure how everything would work out, and that it was good to know God was still in control - no matter what happened. Then she added, "And I bought a chocolate cake for tomorrow."
Ah, chocolate. No other food gets identified so quickly with bringing people so much comfort. Chocolate is the go-to for so many when life feels frazzled. Well, our current post-election tensions have ratcheted up the anxiety level of many Americans. Sure, some chocolate might help, but God offers us a greater hope and more useful help.
Psalm 146:5 says that God blesses "those whose help is the God of Jacob." I guarantee you that the help of God brings far more comfort than chocolate. The verse goes on to say that God blesses "those whose hope is in the LORD their God." Chocolate is nice. But it cannot compete with the hope we have in Jesus, bringing comfort to the human heart.
Maybe your go-to in finding help and hope in the current uncertainty about the election is something other than Jesus. If so, your election anxiety and stress will be unbearable. To cope with the continuing tensions, we need to rest in Jesus. Look to Him.
Trust Him. He knows what He is doing. He will give you both help and hope.
Our strongest help and deepest hope are found in our God, not chocolate - and certainly not the political system.