Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
John 21:22 (NKJV)
Recently, I’ve trying to train myself to read a chapter of my Bible in the morning before I start my work day. That’s not an easy thing to do for my Type-A, go-go-go personality when it comes to my job.
Nevertheless, I’m staying consistent so far.
I began by reading the Book of John.
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Much of the time when I write, I have these thoughts in my head that I need to put down in writing. If I don’t, I’ll think about, dwell on or continually ruminate on these thoughts daily. Even as a self-described thinker, that drives me nuts.
That’s part of the reason why I have so many drafts in my Drafts folder. At last count, there are 11 on this one laptop I’m on at the moment.
The other part has to do with listening to God’s voice. I prefer not to publish unless I know God is okay with what I’ve written. As I thought about some of my drafts, there are a couple of writings in there that bring me back to John 21:22.
And, something God spoke to me on August 9, 2022.
I know and understand that you don’t always agree with what you see and hear from others. Even those whom I have called for such a time as this. That’s okay. If they are wrong, I will deal with them. Your job is to glean and discern. That’s why I have brought them into your life: to glean and discern. You won’t always get it right. You won’t always get it wrong. The important thing is to learn in the process.
What’s it to you?
What’s it to you if what they believe they hear from me doesn’t “seem right”? Get your eyes off of them and onto Me. You are not Holy Spirit to them. This is my teaching season with you. Stay the course. Don’t quit. Don’t deny what I am doing in you. EYES ON ME! I gave you Colossians 3:2 for a reason. It wasn’t just for 2021. It was to engrain it into your mind that I am to be your focus at all times. I’ve got you, My child. I’ve got you. Stay submitted to the authorities over you. Keep your heart right with Me. I’ve got you!
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What’s it to you?
Now, you may be wondering what these writings were about. Full disclosure, they included some frustrations with other Christians, particularly those who have walked away from church and/or those who have been hurt in the church and rail against them on social media.
At some point, Father may release me to publish them. This is not the time nor the season for them. But, reading the drafts again yesterday and today, I was struck by the words from John 21 again.
What is that to you?
I am convicted by those words. I am convicted by the words He spoke to me in August. I am convicted because my attitude toward people, fellow believers, is not what He wants from me. I am convicted because my eyes (my mind) have been focused too much on other people’s actions instead of on my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Colossians 3:2 (ESV) says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on earth.” [Related: What’s Your Word? – December 2020]
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A few years ago, I remember speaking in a meeting, saying, “God will do what God will do.” I thought I understood it at the time, but it’s only now that I am beginning to grasp the essence of it.
We have just completed another voting season here in America. Democrats and Republicans alike begging for votes, pointing fingers of blame at one another and continuing to stir the fires of discontent. And that’s just on Twitter.
This year, I did something a little different for me. I prayed.
From the moment we received our political pamphlets in the mail, I was asking God how to vote, who to vote for, how to vote biblically in this election. I didn’t want to just fill out my ballot based on a checklist of a party line. That’s lazy. I wanted to submit to God’s will in every aspect.
That’s how I filled out my ballot. And then I prayed again, only this time, I was letting God know that I trust Him no matter what. I trust Him if Republicans are “in control”. I trust Him if Democrats are “in control”. It makes no difference who is “in control” of the White House, Senate, House, Supreme Court or any of the state and local levels.
God is in control of all things.
- Isaiah 37:16 – “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.”
- Proverbs 19:21 – “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
- Isaiah 4:24 – “The Lord of hosts has sword: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand,
- Psalm 115:3 – “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”
- Revelation 21:6a – And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.”
- Colossians 1:16 – “For by his all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through in and for him.”
- Colossians 1:17 – “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
God is God. There is no one else before Him. There is no one else like Him (Isaiah 45:5-7). He alone created the heavens and the earth (Psalm 24:1-2). He alone created life upon this earth. He created government (Romans 13:1). He decides who will be in positions of authority.
At times, He puts people in those positions and other times…He allows them to be there based on the people’s desire.
I’m going out on a limb here, but I believe the last several presidents are not there because God desired them to be there. They are there because that’s what the people cried out for, much like when the Israelites cried out for a king.
And they got Saul.
I do not believe President Biden is our King Saul. What I am saying is that, God will do what God will do, but sometimes that means He will allow the people to do what they will to do also.
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On Tuesday night, as results were coming in, there was one race I was particularly interested in. The person I voted for lost. For a brief moment, I was upset and frustrated. Then, I remembered…
God will do what God will do. And then I heard, “What will you do?”
I knew what that meant. It meant a return to prayer.
It meant a return to pray for those in authority over me. As 1 Timothy 2:1-2 says, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
That night, I prayed for those elected officials who won that night. I prayed for salvation. I prayed that they would be filled with wisdom. I prayed for divine connections and relationships for them. I prayed that they would be surrounded by those who know the Lord and are filled with His spirit.
It matters not what party they belong to, according to 1 Timothy 2, I am instructed to pray for them.
If I do what He instructs me to do, then what’s it to me? Do I trust God? Do I trust Him in the midst of all of this discontent in our country? Do I trust Him when it seems like the American Christian church would rather throw stones at politicians than pray for them? Do I trust Him when American Christians are more concerned with societal or cultural acceptance than humbling themselves before God?
Do I trust Him?
Do I trust Him even when Christian leaders don’t “sound right”? Do I trust Him when Christians are walking away from church in greater numbers than ever before? Do I trust Him when the church (His bride) seems as divided (unified) as ever? Do I trust Him even when I don’t trust the politicians and governmental authorities currently in place?
That right there is what God was saying to me back in August. The notion of “what’s it to you?” is really about trusting God.
“What’s it to you, Sunny?”
“Do you trust Me, Sunny?”
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Sunny Cadwallader 
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