Times, Seasons, and the Midterm Election Results
Good morning America, how are you? Today, Wednesday, the day after the election, these United States of America still stand strong. Russia did not invade overnight. The migrant caravan did not overtake our troops at the border, the price of oil did not skyrocket, and the sky did not split open with the arrival of the Four Horsemen. God is still in control.
It has been a tumultuous few weeks. Last week, on Halloween as a matter of fact, I wrote a blog about choosing to not just be another noise, another din in the cacophony of confusion. Since then I've held my pen and waited for the results of this week's midterm election to be tallied. Now the robo-calls and attack ads can end, and we can go back to our lives.
However, it is inevitable that some Christians will be happy with the election results, and some will be upset. Some will call for an investigation into claims of voter repression or fraud. Some will even decry "not my Senator" or something to that effect. Christian, may I remind you there are two shoes and the other shoe always falls. And in case you may have forgotten:
"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him." (Dan 2:20-22, NIV)
That's right, Christian. God is so in control that He even shifts the tides during midterm elections. If we, as mature Christians, can pray before the election and seek His face and His guidance for our choices, then we can have equal faith that the result is His as well.
Maybe you recall from your childhood Sunday school class the story of Esther. Esther isn't a long book, but the gist is that during the reign of the Persian "god king" Xerxes, the Jewish orphan Esther who was taken in by Mordecai was made queen in Xerxes' court. When, through deceit, the Jews were ordered by Haman to be slaughtered, God intervened. This is where we get the phrase, "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14).
Christian, let us not skip the lesson in Esther and jump straight to the conclusion. Esther was orphaned, raised by a Godly man, sold into slavery, paraded around like cattle, condemned to die, forced to risk her life, relied on the wisdom of God, prayed, remained true to God's teachings, and in the end was found just; and she and her people were exonerated. Christian, the journey is as important as the destination. Be mature. Follow God's teachings. And watch as God changes the times and the seasons, deposes kings and raises up others. Have faith in the wisdom He gives you and your representatives. And like Esther, pray, seek God's face, and trust that God is in control.
–Mark Klages is an influential contributor, a former US Marine and a lifelong teacher who focuses on applying a Christian worldview to everyday events. Mark blogs at https://maklagesl3.wixsite.com/website under the title "God Provides where Hate Divides," with a heart to heal social, political, relational, and intellectual wounds through God's divine love and grace. Mark can also be found on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-klages-04b42511/.