A Stunning Choice
In my lifetime, I have never seen a presidential election like this. Both Democrats and Republicans are stunned about who their “presidential hopefuls” are.
It’s a very scary time for many Americans.
People on both sides are talking about voting for “the lesser of two evils.”
But it’s may not be by accident that our two main candidates are Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
Instead, I believe it may be by divine design.
Our Sovereign God is in Control
I don’t pretend to know what God is up to, but scripture teaches that He’s the One who raises up a nation’s rulers.
31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.” (Daniel 4:31-32 NIV)
Not by Accident
Remember Abraham Lincoln? His journey to become our nation’s president was amazing—yet we desperately needed this particular man in office during the Civil War.The Republican Party finally nominated him on the third ballot. During the general election, he faced not one, but three other candidates because the slavery issue so divided the Democrats.
Looking back, I don’t think we would have become a whole nation again, accept for Lincoln’s leadership. After his assassination, his VP Andrew Johnson, fulfilled his dream of reuniting the country, by letting the southern states rejoin the Union.
Now I’m not suggesting that either Trump or Hillary are anything like President Lincoln.
I’m merely floating the idea that the next President of the United States might have a purpose to fulfill within God’s design.
God Works in the Heart
Whoever our next president is, I believe they will do something to move God’s plans forward. After all, we serve a God who changes hearts.
The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will. (Proverbs 21:1 RSV)
In my lifetime, I have watched even godless rulers unknowingly respond to God’s will.
Remembering the Berlin Wall
I don’t recall any event in the 1980s that stunned me as much as watching the Berlin Wall come down on Nov 9th, 1989. It had divided East and West Germany my entire lifetime. It looked very permanent. The East German guards would shoot people to death who attempted to cross illegally into West Germany.
And then suddenly, a miracle occurred.
People stared transfixed at the nightly news as German citizens climbed on top this concrete symbol of repression. Others started dismantling the wall using pickaxes or chisels.
The armed guards just stood by and watched. Not a single shot was fired.
In Berlin, God changed hearts of stone. He used atheistic, communist leaders to accomplish His will.
May I suggest we start praying for our next President right now?
My Personal Challenge
Frankly—after much internal wrestling—I had made up my mind which presidential candidate I was going to vote for November 8th. Each of us must vote our conscience, after all. There are four people to choose from: Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein.
But in the last few days, an unusual thought has entered my mind. To those of us who haven’t taken advantage of early voting, here’s my suggestion:
Pray and ask the Lord who you should vote for.
And if that idea makes you uncomfortable—and it might—try to figure out why.
All images are from Pixabay.com.
Resources:
Here’s a six minute video documentary about the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. (click)
This article covers the entire story of Abraham Lincoln’s Republican nomination and later presidential victory in 1860. (click)
