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As Australia wakes to the reality of a federal election outcome that has surprised and disappointed some Christians, with the collapse of the Coalition and the rise of a government seemingly set on eroding religious freedoms, many may be questioning what is in store for Australia.

But the Bible reminds us that the pathway to deliverance only comes through the crucible of suffering. Joseph’s story reminds us that the path to God’s promises may first lead through rejection, false accusation, and imprisonment. Yet, in the shadow of uncertainty, we find light in the pages of Scripture and the chronicles of history.

For many Australian Christians, the 2025 federal election result feels like a crucible. The collapse of the Coalition, traditionally more sympathetic to Christian values, and the overwhelming victory of a progressive government committed to secular ideologies have left many reeling. There is palpable fear that hard-won religious freedoms will be curtailed, that the moral compass of the nation will be further eroded, and that the Church will be increasingly marginalised.

These concerns are not without basis. Policies that redefine social norms and restrict religious expression are gaining momentum. The cultural tide appears to be turning decisively away from the Judaeo-Christian foundations upon which Australia was built. In schools, media, and public discourse, biblical values are often derided, while those who uphold them are painted as bigoted or out of touch.

In such a climate, it’s easy to feel defeated. It’s easy to believe that the light is fading and the Church’s influence is waning. Yet, history and Scripture both teach us that it is in moments like these—when the dungeon feels deepest—that God is preparing the palace.

The Biblical Pattern

Throughout the Bible, God’s people encounter seasons of overwhelming darkness. Yet it is in those very moments that God often moves most powerfully. Consider the Israelites under Egyptian bondage. For 400 years, they toiled under the weight of oppression. Their cries for deliverance seemed to echo unanswered through the generations. But just when hope seemed lost, God raised up Moses. The path to the Promised Land began in slavery and ended in freedom.

The life of Joseph reminds us that God’s plans may take many years to develop, but they are ultimately perfect. The great storyteller cannot create the character in us that he requires with prolonged delay. Betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused and imprisoned, Joseph’s journey was marked by injustice and despair. Yet, Genesis 50:20 records his triumphant declaration: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” The dungeon quite literally preceded the palace; the suffering was not a detour but a preparation for destiny.

Consider David, the anointed king who spent years fleeing from Saul. Hiding in caves, feigning madness, surrounded by enemies, his path to the throne was shrouded in suffering. Yet Psalm 30:5 reminds us: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” For David, the dungeon of hardship eventually led to the palace of purpose.

But perhaps the most profound example is Jesus Himself. On the cross, the sky turned black at midday (Luke 23:44-46). The Son of God hung lifeless, and the hopes of His followers were dashed. All seemed lost. Yet three days later, the stone rolled away. The resurrection transformed the tomb into a palace of eternal triumph. What seemed like the ultimate dungeon was, in truth, the corridor to glory.

As William Shakespeare wrote in King Henry IV, “The darkest hour is just before the dawn.”

Historical Parallels of Hope

Consider the early Church. After the ascension of Jesus, believers faced intense persecution under Roman rule. Christians were fed to lions, crucified, and burned as torches in Nero’s gardens. The world seemed intent on extinguishing the fledgling faith. But persecution became the seed of growth. The blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church, as Tertullian famously wrote. Underground churches flourished, the gospel spread like wildfire, and in time, Rome itself bowed to Christ.

Or look to the Reformation. The medieval church had become corrupt and oppressive. Truth was buried under tradition, and access to Scripture was denied to the masses. Yet God raised up men like Martin Luther and William Tyndale. In the face of darkness – threats, imprisonment, execution – they shone the light of God’s Word. The renewal that followed, the palace of revived faith and freedom, was born in the dungeon of resistance.

Even in modern times, we see similar patterns. In communist China, when missionaries were expelled and churches were forced underground, many feared the end of Christianity in the region. Yet today, China hosts one of the fastest-growing Christian populations in the world. Where the state tried to extinguish faith, God kindled revival.

J.R.R. Tolkien, in The Two Towers, captured this sense of hope against hope. As Samwise Gamgee said to Frodo in the shadow of Mordor: “Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer.” Tolkien, a devout Catholic, infused his epic with Christian themes of perseverance, sacrifice, and ultimate redemption.

Australia is not immune to these cycles. The current darkness may feel oppressive, but it is not unprecedented. Nor is it insurmountable. In fact, it may be the very pressure that refines the church and refocuses believers on what truly matters.

The Call to Faithfulness in the Dungeon

The temptation in times like these is to retreat. To disengage from the public square. To protect our families by turning inward and waiting out the storm. But the call of Christ is not one of fear but of faith. As Philippians 2:15 says, we are to “shine as lights in the world, in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation.”

Now is the time for the church to be bold, not bashful. To speak truth with love, to serve with humility, to stand firm with grace. Our faith is not dependent on political favour but on the unshakable kingdom of God. Hebrews 12:28 reminds us, “Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”

Jesus warned that we would have trouble in this world (John 16:33), but He also declared, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.” Our hope does not rest in Canberra or Parliament, but in Christ crucified and risen.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet reminds us that “there is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow,” an echo of Matthew 10:29. Even amid political upheaval and cultural hostility, God’s hand remains sovereign.

Response to 2025 Federal Election

What can we do?

First, we must pray. Not as a last resort, but as a first response. Prayer changes things, but more importantly, it changes us. It aligns our hearts with God’s purposes and empowers us to act with wisdom and courage.

Second, we must remain engaged. Vote. Speak. Advocate. Disciple. Educate. Let your voice be heard not only in protest but in proclamation, declaring the goodness and truth of God with clarity and compassion.

Third, we must disciple the next generation. In a world that is increasingly hostile to faith, our children and youth need to be rooted in truth. Teach them the Word. Model integrity. Equip them to stand, not with arrogance, but with conviction.

Fourth, we must build communities of light. Churches must be places of refuge, truth, and empowerment. Small groups, schools, ministries, these must become havens where faith is nurtured and the gospel is lived.

Finally, we must remember. Remember that we are not alone. That the church has withstood darker nights. That our Savior reigns. And that the palace is coming.

The Promise of the Palace

Psalm 46 speaks to our time: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea… The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts… Be still, and know that I am God.”

We are in the dungeon. But the palace is promised. The church may be pressed, but it will not be crushed. God’s purposes will prevail. Isaiah 60:1 declares: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”

C.S. Lewis, in The Screwtape Letters, notes that “courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” This moment calls for that courage, a courage born not of defiance, but of deep, unwavering faith.

So take heart, weary believer. The election result is not the end of the story. The collapse of political alliances is not the collapse of the kingdom. The palace is coming.

And in the meantime, we shine. Not in our strength, but in His.

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Image via YouTube/ABC News.