“He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings ad deposes them, He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” Daniel 2:21
Presidential elections have brought division in many countries. They have ruined friendships; people unfriend friends on Facebook because they support the other candidate; family members stop talking to each other and sadly, it creates tension within our church families. The year 2020 has been like no other in my memory. It began with the impeachment of the president, then the Covid-19 pandemic, then came a recession, and following that, street riots and civil disobedience. What can we learn from this disruption in our lives? Here are some points to consider…..
- We do not have complete control of our lives! We do not know what tomorrow will bring! When we make our plans, we should not assume everything will go accordingly! James reminds us what we ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” God is the One who has full control of our lives. When we surrender to Him, we will find peace because He works all things for our good. (Romans 8:28-29)
- We must trust in the Lord, the King of kings, not the President. Whoever would have thought our president would get Covid a month before the election? Our Lord, who is omniscient, is not surprised. He sees everything and knows the end from the beginning. He is the One who “determines the number of stars and gives to all of them their names,” Psalm 147:4. He is on the throne of the universe today and we can trust Him implicitly! We can entrust America into God’s loving hands, not the current presidential candidates. “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:6-7.
- Our real enemy is not human, but the devil! Our enemy is not the opposing presidential candidate, it’s the devil, that great dragon who leads the whole word astray. They (believers) overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Revelation 11:11. Our enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. We need to remember not to be deceived by his schemes. Do not be like the unbelievers who sacrifice friendship, family and country for the sake of supporting their candidate by hating and fighting with each other.
Whoever leads this country in the next four years is just a servant of God. The One who dethrones kings and raises up others is in control. God can use anyone, even the unbeliever, to accomplish His will! God used King Cyrus, a pagan king to be God’s agent to bring the Jews back to their homeland. “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for Him at Jerusalem in Judah.” Ezra 1:2.
I received a message this week from a family member questioning my integrity in backing a certain candidate. She claimed my candidate was anti-Christian and asked how could I support him? She couldn’t understand my “hypocrisy,” then completed her remarks by saying “Jesus would be ashamed of you!” I felt sorry for her, knowing she was not a believer, most likely had never opened a Bible or darkened the door of a church. I replied as kindly as I could, then told her Jesus loved her. This election is our chance to stand for Jesus and whoever wins, it will be God’s choice!
Your friend, Jean