"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all. In Your hand are power and might, and in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all."
1 Chronicles 29:11-12
We live in a democratic republic, and this is an election year. Who will be our next President? Who will be our governors, legislators, judges, mayors, and sheriffs?
Many of these will be chosen in just a few weeks. The process began a couple of days ago with primary elections everywhere. As “dual citizens“ of such a system and of the Kingdom of God we are aware of our responsibility to carefully consider each candidate and vote wisely, with much prayer.
And yet the Bible tells us that God not only knows beforehand “who’s who” after the election, but He is Lord over all and He Himself has control of who comes into positions of power: “in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.” Martin Luther used to say, “God gives to every people the government it deserves.”
So even as we prayerfully approach these elections and work to see good and godly people elected to authority in our land, our eyes are not on the political parties or on the candidates or the officials elected, but on the Lord, Who rules over all. Our main focus is not on the elections nor on their results, but on being the kind of people that God can bless with good government and with freedom.
Lord God, we confess that we have often taken our freedom for granted and abused it by disobeying Your Law. Forgive us, and in Your mercy deliver us from foolish and ungodly rulers. Give us a good government that will establish and uphold righteousness in our land, so that we can live in peace and Your Word can be freely proclaimed. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles
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