Decision 08

Americans, are you ready for Election day and beyond? Believers, does Jesus ride a Donkey or an Elephant?

I have regularly encountered the presumption that God is partisan in this imminent election. The bible records God taking up an unusual position as the confrontation between the Israelites and Jericho loomed:

Joshua 5:13 'When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, "Are you friend or foe?"
14 "Neither one," he replied. "I am the commander of the Lord’s army."

God preserved his transcendence above the armies of Joshua and the people of Jericho. We might feel there was an obvious choice; that God should have sided with Joshua. Well He did, supernaturally Jericho's walls fell, but mere days later God sided with the forces of the small town of Ai over Israel. Israel were routed and there was loss of life because, through Achan, Israel had deviated from the plan.

God’s decision to be with a party is based on His purposes, not the party's political stance. God has favored Egypt over the land of Jacob in a famine (because of one man, Joseph), He favored Assyria over Israel militarily because of Israel’s backsliding, He favored Babylon over Judah for the same reason. He favoured Persia over Babylon for the same reason. The fact that the Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians were cruel and ungodly didn’t stop God strengthening them as they fulfilled his cause.

God isn’t blue or red, He is God. Does God approve of abortion? no, does he approve of loss of life in Iraq? no, Is any party perfect? Absolutely no. What does God want to achieve through this election? His purpose.

As always, the fear factor is a commonly played card at election time. We often end up voting against someone rather than for someone. 2 Timothy 1:7 says "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." Fear is never a good motivation, so shake it off and fill your heart with optimism.

Remember, life-shaping choices are more important than political choices. God’s favor can abide on your life, family, church, community and even nation, regardless of who presides over the government

The right decision is to pray and vote with a positivity about the future. Choose an attitude of faith, regardless of the result.