As things continue to escalate to a near-frothing frenzy this election season, I can’t help thinking that we have lost all perspective. Because when I wake up on November 4, this is what I know: Everything will have changed. And yet nothing will have changed.
I will still pray for our president—whether or not I voted for him. I will still fight for justice.
I will still pray for peace and unity for our homes, our families, our states, and our nation.
I will still choose dignity over discrimination. I will still choose faith over fear.
I will still choose Hope and Joy over despair. I will still choose Love over hate.
I will still pray for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done.
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“Praise the name of God forever and ever, for all wisdom and power belong to Him. The Lord sets in motion the times and the ages; he deposes kings and installs others.”
The prophet Daniel wrote that. The same Daniel who was kidnapped as a child from his home, renamed, and forced to assimilate to a pagan culture. Then forced to personally serve the very king who destroyed his homeland, desecrated his place of worship, and killed and captured his people. The same king who had just issued a warrant to kill him.
We see time and again in both the New and Old Testaments that God uses earthly rulers—even ruthless dictators, evil kings, and corrupt religious leaders—to carry out His purposes.
Nothing can thwart the plans and purposes of God. Even when we don’t understand or it seems like evil is flourishing. Even when our trust is crumbling and fear is breathing hot on our necks.
Should we care and pray about who holds power? Yes; but ultimately, our allegiance isn’t to them. And truly, their power is limited. These people—these parties—are not our saviors. We ALL fall short. The only Hope for our nation was nailed to a cross over 2,000 years ago. Whose victory over death brings the true Justice and Peace our country desperately longs for.
And we can take comfort in the fact that nothing that happens on November 3 is a surprise to Him. And while it might seem that all hell is breaking loose, nothing essential to our existence changes on November 4.
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Yes, this election could change the very core and course of our nation.
But empires rise and empires fall.
There is only one unshakable Kingdom. And it’s more subversive and radical than any political party ever could be. It’s where the weak are strong. Where the last are first. Where the lost are found, the poor are rich, the hungry are filled, the thirsty are sated, and the yoke is light. Where surrender leads to Freedom and death leads to Life.
Even now, in the midst of the horrors and hate 2020 has brought us, His Redeeming power is at work. His Goodness knows no bounds. His perfect Love casts out all fear.
When you focus on the waves, you will be washed away. But when you look up and take the hand of the One reaching down to hold you, you will walk on the stormy waters—no matter what you wake up to on November 4.
Because our welfare is not dependent upon a government.
True Peace is not contingent on a certain administration.
And Hope doesn’t come from a man with power or an office.
And in light of eternity—in light of True Reality—what seems monumental and all-consuming right now is but a drop in the ocean of time. And when we pray that His Kingdom come and His will be done, we can have faith in spite of fear. We can have Joy in the face of pain and Love in the face of Hate. We can feel Peace as the world rages around us. And we can hold Hope for the future when all seems hopeless.
Here are some verses and promises I’ve been meditating on these last few weeks. May they help you find peace and perspective in the days ahead.
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“I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous!”
—John 14:27
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You will keep the peace, a perfect peace, for all who trust in You,
for those who dedicate their hearts and minds to You.
So trust in the Eternal One forever,
for He is like a great Rock—strong, stable, trustworthy, and lasting.
He humbles the high and mighty.
Even the indomitable city falls before His strength, reducing it to dust.
The feet of the poor, the weak, the infirm and forgotten
will trample the dust of the formerly great.
Eternal One, You are preparing peace for us;
in fact, everything we have accomplished has come from You.
Others have tried to rule over us,
but You, Eternal One, are our God.
At the end of the day, when all is done,
we acknowledge only You.
—Isaiah 26:3-6, 12-13
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If people mistreat or malign you, bless them. Always speak blessings, not curses.
—Romans 12:14
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Listen! The Lord, the Eternal, the Holy One of Israel says: “In returning and rest, you will be saved. In quietness and trust you will find strength.”
The Eternal One yearns to give you grace and boundless compassion;
that’s why He waits.
For the Eternal is a God of justice.
Those inclined toward Him, waiting for His help, will find happiness.
—Isaiah 30:15,18
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