[Darris McNeely] America will have a new president and a new administration in a few weeks and so many people around the world are wondering exactly what that will mean for world affairs and America’s role in the world. I was reading an article the other day about what will face the new president when he comes into office – issues that are already boiling with changes among the nations that are taking place. Europe and Russia, for instance, and Russia’s incursions into the Crimea and the Ukraine and the Brexit issue that is unravelling the European Union and the potential for more. And we look at Asia, we see China and its rise in power and influence, and a realignment of many of the power structures and of course the Middle East is always in the news and a great deal of turmoil there. These are all issues that are going to be facing world leaders and especially the new American president.

It reminded me of a scripture that --I’ve been pondering over a couple of scriptures, actually, from the prophets Haggai and the prophet Habakkuk that we have been talking about in our Beyond Today live appearances, “America: The Time is Now”, and in Bible studies here that we have also taped for Beyond Today. And the role that God has – and He says that He has among the nations and as we look at turmoil among the nations, realignment of various power blocks in today’s world, we shouldn’t be surprised and we should be actually instructed because of what God says from His holy word about His hand in world affairs.

In the book of Haggai, the prophet Haggai makes a statement in a very interesting prophecy that is given to the Jews in the years when they returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Haggai chapter 2 and verse 7 – God says, “’I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I’ll fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:7). And again, in verse 20 and 21 and 22, God says, “I will shake heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms” (Haggai 2:21-22). That’s the book of Haggai, chapter 2. A very interesting prophecy that God makes there about His role in the world – that he can actually shake the nations. Doesn’t something like that sound about like what we read today in our headlines, as we look at today’s world scene?

The earlier statement that God made about that, it’s from the prophet Habakkuk where, in chapter 1 and verse 5 of Habakkuk, God said to the prophet, “Look among the nations and watch and be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you” (Habakkuk 1:5). God works in the nations. He did then and ever so much more now. In fact, the apostle Paul gave us a very, very interesting bit of information to help us put this all in perspective in Acts chapter 17, where he says of God that “He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on the face of the earth”, and about the nations he says, “He has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” (Acts 17:26). This is encouraging and it’s also very enlightening but comforting to help us understand that God is in charge of history, that even turmoil among nations, like we are seeing in our world today, need not cause us to be so overly fearful or concerned, but to understand that there is a God who is in control of history. He determines when nations rise and fall. He determines when they will be powerful and not so powerful. There’s larger hands, there are larger issues working today. And as we look around at our world and we try to figure it all out, don’t forget the unseen hand from history that is the hand of God upon the world, as we find evidence here from these two prophets and the apostle Paul.

That’s BT Daily. Join us next time.