Last night we had a meal with a dear friend who is from Zimbabwe and has family still out there. Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the ‘violent sham’ of a presidential election saying he could not let other people keep on risking their lives for him. The press have shown us hopeless people queuing at the polls to choose between Mugabe or Mugabe.

Meanwhile the tyrant thundered on Friday that only God will be able to remove him from power. With the continued weaknesses of his neighbours in the SADC and the United Nations etc. unwilling to do much more than tut tut at widespread torture and killings, he may well be right. Amnesty reports that, “…murderers, torturers, and other perpetrators of human rights violations are left at large and given free rein to commit further human rights violations with impunity.”

But as we’re going through this ‘read a chapter or Proverbs each day’ pattern, Zoë read through Proverbs 28 today at breakfast time and said, “I can’t help thinking this really relates to Mugabe.”

As I look through it now, there are descriptions, warnings and a promise that Mr Mugabe – and anyone who seeks to govern – should heed. We must pray and claim the power of God’s word – in the face of a man who defies His authority.

Descriptions

A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.

Evil men do not understand justice

…when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding.

Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people.

A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment

Warnings

When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding; but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

The wicked man flees though no one pursues

Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.

If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law,even his prayers are detestable.

He who leads the upright along an evil path will fall into his own trap,

He who conceals his sins does not prosper

Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

A man tormented by the guilt of murder will be a fugitive till death;

He who trusts in himself is a fool

He who closes his eyes to the poor receives many curses.

Promises

He whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall.

He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.

The blameless will receive a good inheritance.

When the righteous triumph, there is great elation!

May the Lord who Mugabe acknowledges CAN depose him, do it swiftly for the sake of that nation!