-Pastor Erik Reed
Well the day has arrived. History will be made this evening. One of the two candidates, Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, will be elected president of the United States of America. There are many opinions as to who will win and who should win. We could debate for hours (many have) as to why one candidate is a better option than the other candidate. But I want to offer some thoughts for you to consider today as you vote, track the election, and hear the winner announced.
The most important thing we need to keep in mind, as this election wraps up, is that God is Sovereign over this election.
It is clear from the Bible, from beginning to end, that God sovereignly rules over all aspects of His world. This is why Ephesians 1:11 says he, “works all things according to the counsel of His will.” That includes this election. Whoever wins this election tonight will do so, not because they had the best campaign strategy or the most dollars raised, but because God Almighty has decreed it. In fact, you could say that the winner of the election will be a result of the providence of God bringing forth His eternal decrees, established from the foundations of the world.
So let me make something very clear, while I have a preference as to who I want to win this election, I will resign myself to the will of God when all is said and done, even if my candidate did not win.
A natural question that may be raised from what I have just written is: if God is in control over who wins the election, does that mean that the candidate was the one that best honored God and pleased Him?
The answer to this question is, “No.” God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa. 55:8). The secret things belong to the Lord (Duet. 29:29). Not everything that the Lord does is for us to understand and comprehend. It is also important to realize that, while God may decree for a particular candidate to win, it is not necessarily the case that the individual is a more godly person, or even a righteous ruler. It is important to remember that God may have plans and purposes for one candidate to become the president which have nothing to do with that individual’s morals, godliness, or party. The Bible shows us God will often use kings and rulers, despite the idolatry and ungodliness, to fulfill His purposes. Even their ungodly leadership is often used to bring about God’s decrees. Just reflect on the role of Pontius Pilate.
So essentially, what I’m saying is this: God is not a Republican or a Democrat and His sovereign choice in this election has nothing to do with which party the candidate belongs to.
Which leads to the last point I want to make: Our task is to trust the decrees and the will of God, submitting willingly to Him. Whoever gets elected will do so by the will of God. Sure, many different means and factors will play into which candidate wins, but ultimately all of those factors are serving the hands of God.
So as Christians, I would recommend you take the counsel of Paul to Timothy when he urges him to pray for government leaders (1 Tim. 2:17). Pray for whoever wins this race. And when you hear a winner declared, and see that candidate give his victory speech, say this to yourself, “I am watching the unfolding of the sovereign plans of God, even if they were not my plans…Your will be done, Lord. Your will be done.”
Erik Reed
