God teaches us all the time. Let’s face it. Some are upset, and some are elated. Either way, with over 140,000,000 people voting in the United States for the next president, we should expect these reactions. Then, there is the great unknown of lawsuits and questions surrounding voting practices that threaten to draw out the process a little longer. As people, we sometimes have a problem waiting patiently for the results of elections. I know I do. How about you?
I glued myself to the television last Tuesday night, waiting and waiting and waiting for states to be called in favor of one candidate the other. Results came in slowly and by 2 am on Wednesday, I was done. I went to bed with no complete results from the election. I’m sure many of you were the same way.
A week later and I’m still waiting. So what is God trying to teach me? What is God trying to teach us through this period of waiting? I thought about four areas that we should all consider as we wait.
God teaches us through authority (Daniel 2:21)
“He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.”
It is God who places people in authority over us. Does this mean our vote doesn’t matter? No. Not at all. But it does mean that God puts people in positions of authority over us. Part of this helps us understand that life is not all about us. I know that hurts a little, but there is some relief to know that whatever is happening in the world today, God is actively working.
So we see here that regardless of who voters elect as the United States president, God has ultimate authority. That doesn’t mean we should remove ourselves from public service or even political involvement. But it does mean that there is something much greater involved behind the scenes.
God teaches kings through His authority (Proverbs 21:1)
“The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;
He turns it wherever He wishes.”
This verse is powerful! What does it mean? We’ve had good presidents, and we’ve had sub-par presidents in my lifetime. But through each presidency, God teaches kings through His authority. Proverbs 21:1 states that the Lord turns the king’s heart wherever He wishes. It doesn’t say that God always does that. Sometimes kings and presidents have to learn the hard way just like we do.
But the great hope that we have as Christ-followers is that whoever is elected president when the court battles convene and conclude will be affected by God’s authority and power. That gives me some comfort as we move ahead as a country.
God teaches us to pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:21)
“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”
This is another verse that should cause us to think about how we view others. Believers across the United States should pray every day for those in civil authority over them. Paul instructs his pastor friend, Timothy, to pray for all men. Not just their friends. Paul continues by writing that we should pray for “all who are in authority.” All civil leaders in our community, state, and nation need our prayers. If God moves in the heart of a president, God will undoubtedly move in the heart of a senator or mayor.
There is no place for us to sneak away from this verse. Paul wants us to pray for those in authority. If Paul could pray for Constantine when things remained calm, and for Nero, when things remained conflicted, we can also pray for those in leadership positions.
God teaches us that earth is our temporary home (Philippians 3:20)
“20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”
Finally, we discover that our lives are short, and eternity is forever. Paul tells the Philippian church that they need to consider a new perspective that changes the way they live. God teaches us that our residence here on earth is temporary. And honestly, there is nothing we can do about that. If you think about it, that’s perhaps the best news you could hear today.
All of the problems, concerns, hurts, pains, disagreements, frustrations, and politics happen on earth. But if this is only our temporary home, then our forever home will be so much better. In heaven, there will be no more hurt, pain, disagreement, frustration, or politics.
To close, God teaches us that our perspective should not be temporary, but an eternal perspective. This means, regardless of which president wins the election, we should always keep in focus that people need to hear the fantastic news about Jesus and how infinitely merciful He was to die as a ransom for us.
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