Read Time: 4 min 58 sec | Reading Level: 6th Grade

WORLD NEWS

Trouble in Venezuela

Venezuela is having a tough election year. 

Nicolás Maduro became president of the (northern) South American country in 2013. The authoritarian leader was up for re-re-election in July. He was running against a 75-year-old former diplomat named Edmundo González. 

Maduro says he won this year’s election. But there’s a long list of countries—including the U.S.—that think González won... in a landslide. And they have the receipts from voting machines to prove it. Maduro’s electoral council maintains he won but says that it can’t release the “official” tally due to an election-night cyber attack.

More drama unfolded this week. Monday, Maduro gave authorities a green light to arrest González, who is now on the run. Maduro accuses his political rival of lying to try and take power. The U.S. and others condemned the arrest warrant, urging Maduro to respect “the will of the Venezuelan people.”

It doesn’t stop there. On the same day, the U.S. seized Maduro’s presidential plane in the Dominican Republic. They say it was bought illegally and then smuggled out of America. Venezuela called the plane-napping “piracy.”

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Even during scary and uncertain times, our future with God (and his presence with us now) is sure. Be quick to give him the credit for your hope, strength, and love in the middle of the chaos. 

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.”
Psalm 23:1-4 (CSB) (read full passage)

How can I model putting my hope and trust in Christ when discussing this story?
Our hope is in Christ, not country. 

Learning about Venezuela may make you grateful for your country. That gratitude is good! But believers’ hope is not rooted in the prosperity of our country. No matter what happens in Venezuela’s election or in the U.S.’s, believers have every reason to be content. 

Paul wrote his joy-filled letter to the Philippians from prison, so we know that his hope wasn’t tied to his circumstances: “I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—​whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:12-13 CSB). Contentment comes from Christ’s strength in us, not political outcomes.

What response to this story do I want to model for my children?
When we hear bad news, we often respond with worry, complaining, or gossiping. Dwelling in that gloom makes things worse.

But Paul, in the same letter, facing his own bad news, offers another way: prayer and thanksgiving. "Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 CSB). 

When there’s chaos in the headlines, pray. When the news is bad in your own life, pray. Let your kids see bad news, bring you to your knees, and then see how God gives supernatural peace.

• List the top five things you love about your country. Then, list five ways your heavenly home is better than your earthly one.  

• Memorize Philippians 4:6-7, "Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (CSB).

• Pray about any bad news in your life. Keep praying and share next week how God has worked peace in your heart.

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