[God] removes kings and establishes kings... Daniel 2:21
By [God], kings reign... Proverbs 8:15
The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. Romans 13:1
Far be it from me to tell you how to vote.
As far as any of us knows, Americans still live in at least a semblance of a democracy, so we have the right to vote for whomever we like. Yet this particular presidential election year, for almost all of us, the person for whom we'll vote has become perhaps the most contentious presidential decision of our lifetime.
How did we get to this point in our country?
How many die-hard Democrats and Republicans truly like and endorse their respective party's presidential candidate?
How many partisan voters are simply going along with their respective party's marching orders, convinced that at least their opposing candidate has to be the worst option?
And true, while there are some differences between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, how can anybody really argue that those differences aren't merely various shades of black?
How can America's voters of any party be able to identify what needs to change in our country, yet support either Hillary or Trump?
Why do we continue to let our mainstream media tell us that Hillary and Trump are our only two choices?
Why do we perpetuate the fallacy that following Christ is a society's mainstream thing to do anyway?
Why do liberals consider Hillary a Democrat, considering the types of people who have funded her family "charity" to the tune of billions of ill-gotten-dollars?
Why do evangelicals continue to insist that God is a Republican, considering the character of this year's Republican candidate?
Consider this poetic description of God's sovereign power over our affairs, from Psalm 18, written by King David:
I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies...
With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down...
[God] trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great...
You delivered me from strife with the people; you made me the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me. As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me...
The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation - the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me, who delivered me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you rescued me from the man of violence.
According to this psalm, Who has the right to take vengeance? Do we voters? Does Trump, or Hillary, or any other politician? Or does God? Note that even King David credits God with avenging the wrongs done to the nation of Israel. And what does God value? Our submission to Him, mercy, purity, humility, gentleness... even in a time of war.
How much do you think the hedonistic mindset of conventional politics, nostalgic patriotism, and brittle ethnocentrism have warped the perspective with which we Christ-followers should be voting?
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