Mid-week Devotional
Christian Concern Over the 2020 Election?
Pastor Wes
Join our Facebook page to keep in touch.
Hey church, happy Veterans Day! Thank you so much to all of those who have served our homeland through military service. I know this year 2020, for many reasons, has created an opportunity for anxiety in the hearts of many. Our most recent anxiety producing event of the United States elections, particularly the presidential election, has many of our heads still spinning. What will a change of power look like? Will there be a change of power? Did corruption take place and will it be exposed? Will God continue to bless the USA, or will we be entering into a time of judgement? There are so many unanswered questions, and I know many are wrestling with a bit of anxiety as a result.
I want to draw your attention to the life of Daniel. Many of you perhaps know him as the guy God protected as he was thrown into the lion’s den, but there’s so much more to his story that I think will greatly benefit you and I as we deal with political anxiety, and the idea of God’s sovereignty, even over elections and elected officials. Here’s a synopsis of some of the political situations that occurred during Daniel’s life: God raised up King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (modern day Iraq), to come and conquer His chosen people in Israel. Those people were uprooted from their homes in Jerusalem and surrounding areas, and were transported away to another country, that spoke a different language, that had different customs, different religions, and different political ideals. God made that happen. Daniel was one of these Jewish people uprooted and taken to Babylon. There he served under the evil, prideful king Nebuchadnezzar, and as a result of Daniel’s consistent focus on the Lord and his consistent obedience to the Lord, he gained favor with the political leaders and had Godly influence in their lives. Keep in mind, these were political leaders hated and feared by the majority, if not by all, of God’s people. Yet God still stirred in the hearts of these evil political leaders and used them to bless His people.
Throughout shifts of leadership and power, whether that leadership supported Daniel’s religious liberty, or whether that leadership was seeking to punish by death Daniel’s religious liberty- Daniel stayed true to His God and took to heart this simple truth: “the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.” (Dan. 4:25) Daniel witnesses God drive out evil, prideful King Nebuchadnezzar from his position of leadership, and what’s wild is that evil, prideful King Nebuchadnezzar repented and humbled himself, and God then placed him back in power. At this point, though Daniel and his fellow countrymen are still living in not ideal circumstances with regard to living out their faith, at least the ruler in power acknowledges and gives praise to Daniel’s God.
Well, that comfort doesn’t last forever, and another anxiety producing shift of power takes place as king Belshazzar, king Nebuchadnezzar’s son, takes over leadership. This leader fully mocks and disrespects the religion of Daniel and the other Israelite people, by taking items used in the temple for the worship of God, and using them in a drunken party with wives and concubines. This is when the hand appears on the wall, terrifying everyone present, and Daniel is then remembered by someone, and called in to explain. Daniel recounts to the king the story of his father, king Nebuchadnezzar, and again reminds all present of the simple truth that I want you to realize today: “the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and… He sets over it whomever He wishes.” (Dan. 5:21) And again, God takes action, but instead of driving the king out of his position, God takes the life of king Belshazzar that very night, and now Daniel experiences his third dramatic shift of political power as king Darius takes power and Daniel is governed by another language, religion, and country. (Persia- modern day Iran)
King Darius makes a bunch of organizational/structural changes to the land, and he is lured by some of his advisors (think congressman, senate, house of representatives) to make laws that target followers of God. Does Daniel’s spiritual life change any? No, he stays consistent and continues praying to God although the king had outlawed prayer, and he ends up getting prosecuted for exercising his religious liberty and the punishment is death by lions. But God protects Daniel by closing the mouths of the lions all night, and God then causes the tables to be flipped as the king then throws his advisors into the lions’ den where they were immediately torn apart.
If you keep working your way through the book of Daniel, you’ll then see God’s declaration of how future kingdoms will arise and fall, and how God has already set the rule of kings and kingdoms for periods of times all the way up to the end of time. Over and over throughout the book of Daniel, we are reminded that God is in control, and that He has the power to give authority in a land, to take it away, and to change it. Daniel experienced political favor through king Nebuchadnezzar, political disrespect from king Belshazzar, and political persecution from king Darius. And all the while, He stayed true to His God, and remained confident that “the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and… He sets over it whomever He wishes.” (Dan. 5:21)
This concept that God is sovereign and in control of even political positions, isn’t just a theme in Daniel, no- it’s sprinkled throughout the Bible. After king Darius, there was king Cyrus, and again God takes direct action in the heart of this man who hadn’t been considered a “believer” in the one true creator God. 2 Chronicles 36:22 tells us “the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia” and what followed was a proclamation declaring that the people of Israel were given back their religious liberty, and would be allowed to return to their homeland and rebuild their place of worship.
We could talk about the extreme political situation during the life of Esther as God used her faith to influence evil men of great power for “such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14) We could talk about Job who experienced greater life transitions than any of us have ever experienced on a political level, and he declared “The LORD gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21) There are all kinds of Biblical threads we could follow throughout the Bible that emphasize His sovereignty and control, even through what we might view as positive or negative political circumstances. But let me leave you with this passage from the book of 1 Timothy, a passage written when there was historically great political and societal evil and tensions taking place. In the midst of all the evil and tension, Paul writes to Timothy “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Tim. 2:1-5)
Church, do not worry! Trust in the God who saved and preserved Daniel. Stay consistent in following Him no matter what the political situation or law becomes. Follow Paul’s advice and pray for our authority leaders, no matter who they are, yet all the while realizing there is really only one mediator between God and men- and that mediator is not the President, but it is King Jesus.