October 30th, 2024
If I can, I’d like to take a few minutes of your time to talk about voting in this upcoming election. I won't endorse any candidates, positions, or party platforms, not only because doing so would be an abuse of my office but also because many of you have likely made up your minds on key issues already. I will, however, commend an attitude about voting and the upcoming election that I hope you will find helpful and even encouraging.
Voting is both a right and a privilege for US citizens. The fact that Christians are allowed to vote and affect the social life of our nation according to our conscience and God’s word is a remarkable opportunity that we should not take lightly.
Elections on every level affect our daily lives, so we should take them seriously and vote according to the highest good for ourselves and our neighbors. That said, our votes do not alter the course of God’s plan for his church or our nation. In fact, they cannot alter God’s will in any way, but God, in his sovereign power, has worked even our worst decisions into his sovereign plan both for our good and his glory.
Voting is a privilege and a right for US citizens, but it is not a means of grace. Regardless of how or for whom you decide to vote on Nov. 5th, I would encourage you to vote with this in mind: Good laws restrain evil, but the ballot box won't change hearts; the preaching of the Gospel through the Spirit-empowered ministry of His Word will.
Bearing God’s word in mind, I hope you spend time in Psalm 46 during your devotions this week. The beauty of this psalm lies in its worldly realism and invitation to Christ-centered rest. Our unstable world is filled with wars and social structures that seem bent on resisting God’s will and word - but amid all the unrest, upheaval, disintegration, disaster, and dissolution, regardless of whether our preferred candidates and measures win or lose, the Psalmist’s declaration in verses 7 and 11 remains indelibly true:
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
