I never thought I would do a post about this.... BUT, today is a new day and I would like to keep a record of what the LORD is doing in my heart on such issues
I was talking to my husband the other day just about how much of a struggle this election is for me....yes, its a struggle...
I really don't know who I will vote for..There are so many issues that I have strong convictions over. Like, I am blown away at how everyone around me seems to have it all together with their preference on who our next president should be..In my heart, I look at the democratic side and see so much of what I believe in. The Democrats have a good stance when it comes to taking care of the poor, standing up for social injustice, and some of the other issues we saw with the civil rights era of our time. On the other hand,I can very much agree with the Republican side on the sanctity of marriage, abortion-pro life issues, and such.
Aghhh....yes, its a struggle because I am trying so hard to find a balance, but clearly there IS NOT one. Unfortunately, out of Obama, and McCain, there is NO PERFECT NOMINEE and there will never be one that will have all his T's crossed and his I's dotted. My only hope during this election is to TRUST THE LORD with the nations. I really have to PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER who I vote for and TRUST the LORD with whomever HE decides to place into office.
Jerry Bridges in his book trusting God says, "God is LORD over human history, and He is working out all the details of that history, as Paul said in Ephesians 1:11, "in conformity with the purpose of his will." That is God makes all events of history all the decisions of rulers, kings, and parliaments; and all the actions of their government's, armies, and navies serve His will....
...I fear that Christians in this country have too great a confidence in political institutions...[rather] than of the government of God"
John Newton (1725-1801) once said," The kings of the earth are continually disturbing the world with their schemes of ambition. They expect to carry every thing before them, and have seldom any higher end in view, than the gratification of their own passions. But in all they do, they are but servants of this great King and Lord, and fulfill his purposes, as the instruments he employs to inflict, prescribe punishment upon transgressors against him, or to open a way for the spread of his Gospel...They had one thing in view, he had another."
REAL TALK: It is GOD who ordains rulers, it is GOD who controls decisions, and it is the LORD who determines military victories. No matter who wins this election as Christians we HAVE to believe that the LORD is SOVEREIGN. After we have fulfilled our responsibility( VOTING with a CLEAR CONSCIOUS in FAITH) in God's plan for our country we have to believe that the LORD Is in control.
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER:
Daniel 4:17,32
'The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.'..
"You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes."
Proverbs 16:33
"The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord."
1 Kings 12
1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. 3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: 4 "Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you." 5 Rehoboam answered, "Go away for three days and then come back to me." So the people went away. 6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. "How would you advise me to answer these people?" he asked. 7 They replied, "If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants." 8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 9 He asked them, "What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?" 10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, "Tell these people who have said to you, 'Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter'--tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. 11 My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.'" 12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, "Come back to me in three days." 13 The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, 14 he followed the advice of the young men and said, "My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions." 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite."
Psalms 33
16" No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. 18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you."
Psalm 44
1 We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago. 2 With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish. 3 It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them. 4 You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. 5 Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes. 6 I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;
"As we look at the condition of the world today, so utterly hostile to the Gospel, we must also look at the sovereignty of God and at His promises. He has promised to redeem people from every nation, and He has commanded us to make disciples of all nations. We must, then, trust God by praying." J.B