“LORD our God, other masters besides you have ruled us, but we will profess your name alone.”
— Isaiah 26:13 CEB

Our 9 year-old son Jimmy is a natural leader. So much so that his coach lets him lead warmups at soccer practice. Usually Jimmy sticks to the typical routine: stretching, jumping jacks, etc. But sometimes he switches things up with advanced yoga poses and lengthy laps around the field. The improvisations keep everyone on their toes but his coach doesn’t mind. As long as Jimmy remembers that he is an assistant-leader, not the coach himself, the system runs smoothly for all concerned.

We may not be able to see God, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t there. And we may not always understand the ways in which God rules, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t actively ruling. God is there and God is very much in charge. That means all the human leaders in the universe, whether they are running a church, a business, or an entire nation, are really only assistant-leaders. They only have authority because the Lord allows them to have it. Unfortunately, many of the world’s leaders fail to realize they are delegates of the divine and therefore fail to lead in a manner that mirrors their maker. The burden of responsibility then falls to the rest of us to profess allegiance to the King of kings.

Lord our God, other masters besides you have ruled us, but we will profess your name alone. Amen.