Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. Daniel 2:20-22 (NIV)
It is Election Day. The polls have already closed in our time zone. In the past, this was a night of great anxiety for me. Months following the different candidates and their positions, posting yard signs all along my front fence, putting bumper stickers on my car despite Glen’s annoyance with them and encouraging my friends to get out to vote all culminated on this night. I would stay up to watch all the news, checking to see if “my” candidates won their races. Logging onto the website of our local elections office showed me the results of each precinct’s outcome so by the time I went to bed, I would have a fairly good idea of who would be taking office. Of course, working for a government agency, local politics have an impact on my career, but my concern was more than that. I was convinced that if the right person did not get into a position of power and leadership terrible changes would impact my life and that of my family. That fear brought worry and stress as the evening progressed. This year, I have had a changed attitude. Honestly, I am embarrassed by the behavior of most politicians regardless of their party. Dishonesty, greed, living above the law, immorality and blatant lying are prevalent among those in power. True, there are some honest lawmakers, but I think that they are becoming fewer and fewer in number. Money buys votes. Power is contagious. Sincere, simple truth is not in style anymore. I have always suspected that once someone takes the oath of office, they forget about the people who elected them in the first place, and the farther and farther they get from their home constituency, the fogger their thinking becomes. I still take my right to vote and the democratic process seriously, so studied the candidates and issues, prayed about it and carefully made my choice. I believe it is important to have leaders who will seek God’s will and be obedient to His Word. But, even if you know that person closely, no one but God can predict how they will act once in power. Only God knows the hidden things of our hearts. Only God is always the same, always faithful and always true. In the end, I am not going to be wound up one way or another about the elections outcome. For I believe that God is ultimately in control of my life and the entire world. The same God Who brings the seasons around in a regular cycle, Who controls the wind and waves, Who sets the sun and moon into place is the same God Who ordains our government. Life will go on no matter who is elected. Nothing will change by one day’s vote. God is still sovereign and thankfully, He is wiser than any person, more powerful than any earthly nation and greater than any human ruler. No vote can change that. I can rest easy in that fact.
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