Merry Christmas! As I have been reflecting on Christmas and my run for state senate, Isaiah 9:6-7 has been in the forefront of my mind. 

 For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this.  

Isaiah 9:6-7

These verses contain a beautiful message for the burdened leaders of today.  We are prone to shoulder all the problems, all the cares, all the frustrations, and carry them ourselves. 

Today the government must be upon His shoulders. The burdens of the work are too great for us to bear in our own strength. Our counsel must come from the Wonderful Counselor. Only the everlasting Fa­ther can help us face our everlasting prob­lems. Only the mighty God is able to deal with the mighty issues in Idaho, America and the world today.  The use of the word “government” waters down the intensity of what the Scripture is saying. To our modern mindset it is better translated, “and dominion shall be upon his shoulders.” 

The definition of dominion is, “sense of royalty, rule, supremacy, never-changing authority and power, ability to accomplish whatever is needed or desired, full and complete control.”  Only the Prince of Peace can bring lasting tranquillity to our troubled world. The apostle Paul reminds us all, wher­ever we serve on this troubled planet of ours, that our help must come from out­side ourselves. 2 Cor. 3:5 tells us that, “Our sufficiency is of God.”  In other words, if we are to be successful, the government must be upon His shoulders!

Every leader in God’s cause today needs wisdom and divine guidance. Those of us involved in politics know how frequently we face situations when we simply do not know which way to turn. What a blessed assurance to know at such times that the Wonderful Counselor is at our side to take over. 

The One who places His wisdom at our disposal has wisdom that is, “greater than Solomon’s.” Many of us have had remarkable evi­dences of God’s leadership in meeting many of our problems. 

Let us advance with courage and confidence in 2022. Let us face the frustrations, the violence, the uncertainties and the problems of our great state and country with faith-filled leadership, with victorious planning, for, “the government shall be upon his shoulders.”  Victory is assured. Let us move forward with confidence on every front!

Glorious things are spoken of Christ’s government. There is no end to the increase of its peace, for the happiness of its subjects shall last for ever. At a time when the world is weary and despairing of political solutions, when the political future looks bleak, this is welcome news.

We look forward to the day when He returns to execute the final political solution that will truly bring world peace. His is the greatest government because it’s ruled by the greatest ruler—“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” He is the only hope of mankind.

It is safe to leave with God the government of man.

May you all be overwhelmed with peace and contentment this Christmas and be reminded to cast all your burdens upon Him in 2022.