Frustrate Wicked Plans

Of kings, presidents, nations, and people.

Did anyone else see the above picture? Did it rattle anyone like it did me? As the caption states, this is not a real statue. It was generated using AI. But it was used in a video sent out by Trump to “trumpet” his greatness. Maybe it hits harder given his recent “long live the king” tweet.

But it also hit me because I was just reading through the book of Daniel when all this hit the interwebs. If you’ve read that book, you might recall King Nebuchadnezzar setting up a statue of gold for people to bow down to. And while it most likely wasn’t a statue of himself, statues like this were not only for the worship of pagan gods but for the secondhand glory of the one who made it. Needless to say, things didn’t go well for the king. There’s a whole storyline in Daniel that is fascinating to read, but to make a long story short, after a bunch of back and forths, Nebuchadnezzar eventually sees the light and acknowledges God as the true God. But Nebuchadnezzar was not the last king that Daniel would serve and things didn’t always go well. My mind was drawn many times to our current moment.

There are many reasons to be concerned as a follower of Jesus right now: The loss of foreign aid through the cuts to USAID have been devastating to the mission field. The rhetoric surrounding race has been violent and threatening. The formerly unthinkable Nazi salute has reentered the public conversation. And some of the wording coming from our president has been concerning to say the least (see the above referenced “Long live the King” tweet).

As I have conversations with fellow image bearers who are scared and powerless, I am reminded of Daniel and his faithfulness. There were kings who listened to him and kings who didn’t. Daniel himself was pretty powerless over their receptiveness. All he could do was be faithful with the witness God had put into his mouth.

And for that, sometimes Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den, other times he was elevated in status. The bible is replete with stories of the “wicked” getting their way and seemingly getting away with it. But God also assures us that nobody “gets away” with anything.

But our job is faithfulness. In the face of oppression, obstacles, and uncertainty, our job is faithfulness.

We must be faithful in our witness to the teachings, life, and person of Jesus. We must be faithful in prayer. One prayer I have found myself praying lately as I reflect on recent events and anticipate future developments that might be troubling to the Christian conscience, is this: “Lord, frustrate wicked plans according to your wisdom and justice.” It’s a small and simple prayer that does a few things…

First, it echoes words and sentiments of scripture (Psalm 33:10 and others). Second, it puts the burden on God’s shoulders for things only he can do. And third, it reiterates my trust in him to accomplish his will. Even as I speak, even as I act, even as I engage with this world, it won’t be from a posture of fear or anxiety, but rather trust and hope that God will act as God. I have found great peace in praying this prayer, regardless of who is in power.

One might say that a simple prayer does not take the place of physical action. But prayer is action and is in fact powerful. It is not powerful simply because it might echo scripture, it’s not powerful because of big words or long-windedness, and it’s certainly not powerful because of the one who is praying. Prayer is powerful because of the person to whom we pray. Prayer is pointless and powerless if we are praying to ourselves or some other thing or person, because we are powerless to act like God can. So we must pray. Praying also helps to put us in a posture that allows us to take action in Christlike ways, trusting that effectiveness will come not from our efforts, but in God’s strength.

This prayer helps me find rest, even as things feel so uncertain around us. Act for justice, pursue mercy, be active witnesses for the love and Kingdom of Jesus. But do so from a place of trust in our God.

Lord have mercy on your image bearers. Frustrate wicked plans according to your wisdom and justice. Have mercy.