As is usually the case, our election revealed all of our strengths and all of our weaknesses. Two human beings as flawed as we are ran for office. Each man had personal flaws and family failures exposed by the media in the days of the campaign, a sad and horrifying experience for each, I’m certain. They took on the enormous responsibility of a presidential campaign, and they ran.
Gone are the days when the press hid the foibles of presidents. Back in the day, the public heard no tales of Marilyn Monroe in the White House with John F. Kennedy, nor of strippers with LBJ, nor of German submarines off our coasts during WW2 due to the press silence requested by FDR.
Now, the public knows everything the moment it happens, including horrible failures of the candidates’ adult children. Average people like us don’t find pictures of our children at their worst moments published all over the nation or temptations throw at them, offering everything they could ever want or desire given freely in an attempt to gain access to us, their parents. I can’t even imagine how difficult that would be for a family to bear.
The average person doesn’t live a lifestyle that entails the temptations that face the very rich and very powerful, and so, compassion for both men and their families is necessary. We haven’t faced those kinds of temptations, and we have no idea how we would actually respond if we did. Both men and their families are in need of our prayerful support.
The press has taken on the responsibility of announcing “the winner,” when we actually don’t have a winner until all of the votes are certified and the Electoral College casts their votes as determined by the certified vote count.
Regardless of how you voted, pray for these men and their families, and for their running mates and their families, all who were willing to risk everything and may now be facing public humiliation for their great gamble, as perhaps President Trump may be feeling. Pray also for the one who came out as the presumed winner, President-Elect Joe Biden.
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV).
Pray also for all the poll workers who are going back over every single ballot, counting and recounting to make certain we got it right the first time. This usually happens after an election. This is the norm. News from the polls reports that only the normal type of issues have surfaced.
Both candidates & their families are in need of our prayerful support. Regardless of how you voted, pray for them & their families & for their running mates & their families. Pray for the poll workers. #Election2020 Click To TweetIt is important that we not become discouraged by all of the disinformation out there, that we instead rely on the Lord and on the truth, that we read and listen to verifiable sources that share factual information and not share false information that may discourage and frighten others.
It is important that that we read and listen to verifiable sources that share factual information and not share false information that may discourage and frighten others. #Election2020 Click To TweetI shared Psalm 75 in my post right before the election, and these words are still true of our election as we await the final decision. The Lord says:
“At the set time that I appoint
I will judge with equity.
3 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,
it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah
4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn;
5 do not lift up your horn on high,
or speak with haughty neck.’”
6 For not from the east or from the west
and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,
7 but it is God who executes judgment,
putting down one and lifting up another.
8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup
with foaming wine, well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
and all the wicked of the earth
shall drain it down to the dregs.
We trust the Lord with the leadership of America. He is the One who puts down one and raises another. He works all things together for the good of those who love him and who keep his commandments. He determines when nations rise and when they fall and are destroyed, based on his judgment of their works. All of this is in keeping with his plan for human history and the future coming of his Son, we know not when.
We trust the Lord with the leadership of America. He is the One who puts down one and raises another. He works all things together for the good of those who love him and keep his commandments. Click To Tweet“. . .Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed, because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s,’” (2 Chronicles 20:15).
This encouragement to King Jehoshaphat during a battle applies to us as God’s people. Do not fear, and neither be dismayed. Nothing can be stolen that God hasn’t allowed to be taken. In the counting and assessing and sorting of these ballots, the matter is in God’s hands. The battle is the Lord’s. He puts down one, and he raises another. We commit this to him in prayer.
Some have even called upon angels to turn the tide of the election in their candidate’s favor. These would do well to remember the account Joshua had with an angel. “When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come” (Joshua 5:13-14).
The Lord directs the angels. They do not take sides in human battles. Joshua’s question “are you for us [God’s chosen people] or for our adversaries [their enemy in battle]” received an answer of “No,” not one, nor the other. Angels carry out the Lord’s bidding exclusively.
What the Lord has purposed will be done in this election, and no one can manipulate that or destroy what God has planned. Trust the Lord.
God bless you, no matter how you voted. Trust the Lord! He will lift up one and put down another according to his planned purposes for our nation.
In the counting and assessing and sorting of these ballots, the matter is in God's hands. The battle is the Lord's. He puts down one, and he raises another. We commit this to him in prayer. #Election2020 Click To Tweet
We are all flawed as humans. I can’t imagine walking in the shoes of either of these men. But, I put all my hope and trust in the one without flaws, Jesus Christ. He sits on the throne of my heart and sustains me know what the person in the Whitehouse does. Thanks Melinda.
Thank you, Yvonne, for your input on this post and for your gracious comment here. I, too, can’t even begin to imagine the stress involved in holding and seeking this office.
100% yes!! I have been praying nighty for all the candidates… on BOTH sides of the spectrum. God has the ultimate say in all of His. No one on earth can turn His plan on end. So I am at peace with whatever happens. But wow, these men and their families and staffers (not to mention the poll workers) have been through SO MUCH.
They really and truly have, Jessica! Just thinking of the assaults on their families via their adult children has made me cry each time I bring this before the Lord in prayer. The entire family of each one needs prayer for healing and rest and comfort from the Lord. I know the Lord will work out his plan, and that no one can thwart it. I, too, am at peace about the outcome! I pray for stamina and wisdom and keen awareness for our poll workers. They’re doing such important work right now!
It would be very challenging to be in positions of power and fame and remain flawless. I am glad that the Lord has not called me to such a position, as I am sure I would be exposed for the many flaws I struggle with.
I just finished a Bible Study at my church where I lead a women’s group, and we studied the life of Daniel. It was timely to study how Daniel stayed true to his faith while serving pagan kings. If he could do it, so can we! Like Daniel, his allegiance did not adhere itself to the human governing systems, but to higher systems of God.
That’s an excellent point, Lisa. If Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah could stay above reproach while serving a pagan king, then so, too, by the grace of God, could we! It would be incredibly challenging, like you said! And, it would require much prayer to keep one’s allegiance adhered to the Lord, rather than to the government one served, but the grace of the Lord, he would enable his people to do it now, as he did then!
We must remember to worship God, not man. When we place our full trust in the wrong places, bad things happen. Our hope is found in Him and Him alone. 🙂
That’s an excellent way to put it, Melissa — to worship God and not to worship man. That seems to be the tripping point. We place our trust in the wrong place, and you are so right — then bad things happen!
What a great message for this time, Melinda. Thanks for an objective look at a mess.
I tried to stay objective, Nancy, and that was a challenge. The only way to do so was to focus on the humanity of the two men and, even more so, the incredible strength of the Lord. The OT passages are so important! They teach us so much about the Lord, his objectives, and how he uses even angels to achieve them. In his time, and in his way.
Thank you for reminding believers to pray for ALL leaders in America and their families. Imagine how the tone in America would change if we allowed God to transform our own hearts before we prayed for the candidates.
That is SO true Joshua! Each of these people are human beings beloved by God, and as such, we need to pray for them and all that they and their families are going through.
Such wise and timely advice, Melinda.
I’m going tobe quoting and requoting Psalm 75 for the foreseeable future!
Thanks, Ava! That passage and the other ones I shared show us how certain God’s sovereignty is over what impacts us, putting one down, raising another, sending angels on missions we cannot influence nor comprehend. God is in control of this!
Melinda, every word here is written with compassion, wisdom and Biblical truth. We need more of this!!! I appreciate how you walked us through the horrific experiences of having yourself or your family members dragged through the dirt of heartless media coverage. All of our leaders deserve and need our prayer support. I loved your Biblical teaching here: God raises and takes out leaders. God has the final say. Period.
The election is not final until the votes have been certified and this may take more time than usual. So the poll workers need our prayers, too! Yes, we vote, as part of our privilege in this country. But our most powerful choice is the choice to pray. Oh Lord, move our hearts to pray for the leaders of our country. All of them.
This was a really difficult post to write, Melissa. I usually take several weeks to work on a post, and yet, here was this election and the urge to write to the issue of fear I had seen creeping in even before the election.
My own bias crept in to the initial writing, and I had to have someone else, two someones actually, point it out to me. So, I prayed and started over, tearing everything down as I sought the heart of Jesus in this. After eliminating my own bias, repenting, and straightening out my heart, I could focus on the reality of God’s control and his great love for everyone involved.
I “just happened to be” studying the Old Testament passages, and two friends had discussed these with me on social media recently, giving even more illumination that prompted me to include these. So this was a group project this week!
Melinda, so well said my friend! With all the “firsts” 2020 has brought, this is no exception. The craziness of it all often clouds our eternal perspective and our spiritual journey as a child of God. The fact remains, we need to be praying for our leaders as instructed in God’s Word. And prayers for the election workers and our nation as a whole. But, in the end, remembering God is on His throne, executing judgement, reigning in sovereignty no matter what happens, keeps our minds and hearts at peace like nothing else!
So true, Karen! The fact that I know that God is good, he is on his throne, he is sovereign over all, AND he causes all things to work together for the good of those who love him — these truths, these realities make all of the difference. Without Jesus, it would be a dark time filled with uncertainty. Thank the Lord for his kindness and his love for us! His love and kindness brings light to every circumstance.
Melinda, you’ve handled a very tough subject with wisdom and perspective. Praying for our leaders has never been more important.
June, thank you! I was glad to get input on this post, because it was indeed a tough subject to tackle without bias. Focusing on the Lord, what I was studying in my Bible study time, and then discussing it with others as I wrote and revised made all the difference.