Election time can be stressful because the outcome affects so many areas of our lives. The feeling of helplessness and the inability to control the outcome can cause fear, stress, anxiety, and even anger for many people. Fortunately, for believers, we can approach election time much differently than the world because, when we know who our God is, it removes fear and replaces it with rest and peace through confident trust in the King above all kings.
Our God not only reigns over all the earth, its kingdoms, and their rulers, but He actually establishes the kings and kingdoms of the world. We see this all throughout Scripture:
Daniel 2:19b-21(NLT): "Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. He said, 'Praise the name of God forever and ever, for He has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; He removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.'"
Psalm 2:1-2, 4-5 (NIV): "Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against His anointed... The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath..."
Ezra 1:1-2: "In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: 'This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: 'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build a temple for Him at Jerusalem in Judah.'"
An interesting fact about these verses in Ezra is that Cyrus, the king of Persia, was obviously a Persian, not an Israelite. Yet, the Lord not only made Cyrus ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth, but He moved in Cyrus's heart to fulfill His Word and to accomplish His good plans for His people, the Israelites. God truly is perfect in all His ways! In the Old Testament, God's sovereign hand was at work in every battle we read about, giving victories in accordance with His perfect will. God appoints the rulers of the world, so even when enemy armies would win, it was because the Lord allowed it in order to accomplish His plans for His people and for the world. And because our God is sovereign over all, He can orchestrate people, events, and even the smallest of details to make sure His perfect plan comes to pass.
It may not make sense to us that the Lord would allow enemy armies to win, especially against His people, but it's impossible for humans to understand the mind of God. Like God says in Isaiah 55:8-11, "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.'"
We can't understand His mind, His ways, His plan, or His judgment about what's best and why. But what we can do is trust His mind, His ways, His plan, and what He says is best. Trusting God is easier said than done, but it becomes much easier when we know who He is. When we know His character. When we understand that He is sovereign and enthroned above all. When we recognize that He is in control, not only of our lives but of the whole world. When we have seen His goodness and faithfulness with our own eyes. It is then that we begin to trust Him, and it is then that we are able to rest and experience true peace... regardless of any outcomes or circumstances in our lives, our country, and the world. ♥