‘But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” – 1 Samuel 8:19-20 NIV
By the time you read this, I will have already voted since I will be in South Carolina on election day. (Pastor Bill Robertson will be preaching for me on November 13 while I’m gone.) I do not know who will be elected to the various offices. They may be the persons I voted for, or their opponents. Either way, they may do a great job or a terrible one. It’s that way every election. There is one thing I’m sure of: none of them
are God.
Every election we are told that “This is the most important election ever!” And we are tempted to believe that, if we have the right persons ruling over us, all our prayers will be answered. A congressman recently said, “Voting is like a prayer for what we hope will happen.” I disagree. Prayer is like a prayer for what we hope will happen. And the one who answers prayer is God, not politicians.
When the people of Israel settled in the promised land they had no king except God. But they looked at all the other nations around them who had kings to lead them and fight their battles, and they began to want a human king instead of God. The prophet Samuel warned them that a human king would take their sons and daughters, lands and animals and crops, and use them for himself. But they still demanded a human king. You can find out what happened by reading 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles. It was not pretty. Even the best of kings had major flaws, and the worst were downright evil.
So, remember when you vote this year, every person on the ballot is a human. None of them are God. None of them answer prayer. So put your trust in the One who does. And whoever is elected, pray for them and trust that ultimately our nation, state, and, county are in God’s hands.
Peace to you,
Pastor Mark