Every Wednesday morning, I drag myself out of bed a little before 6 AM to meet with a handful of patients and friends for a journey through the Bible. At a sometimes deliberate pace, we have been using scripture to help us answer the question, “What does it mean to be a good man?”
We have made it to the book of 1 Samuel, and thus far have seen far more examples of bad men than good. One constant has been man’s recurring desire to trust in himself instead of God, or if not himself than some other man. This is called out directly in 1 Samuel when the people insist on having a king to lead them.
As I dug through these passages seeking to understand this request, I wondered what it was about trusting God alone the people disdained. It took me a while to decide the answer, because it is not directly given. Reading through the book of judges, I saw the same pattern repeated over and over. After a period of blessing, the people would fall away from God, And allow them to be conquered by one of the surrounding pagan nations. A season of oppression would follow, after which the Israelites would call out to God for help. God always responded, bud did so in His time and fashion.
I think this was what the Israelites were unhappy with. Pagan nations had kings who always fought for their people. That they were abusive, selfish, and immoral did not matter. They fought.
Americans are more like the children they of Israel than we care to admit. We ceased being guided by our moral values generations ago, and doing “what’s right” matters naught at the ballot box. All we want is someone who will fight for us. Sadly for our nation, us no longer means “Americans.” “Us” is defined by left or right and opinions about policies such as abortion or immigration, not by national identity.
It comes as no surprise then that our elections divide us into winning and losing camps, and that half of America is celebrating while the other half mourns. When people base their salvation and deliverance on election outcomes, elections become way too important.
People of true faith realize that elections don’t impact their destiny or change their future. My hope when I went to bed November 5th was the same as when I woke up that morning, in the eternal God who loves me and the Savior who died for me. His plans are beyond the reach of any man and unaltered by the outcome of any vote.
When I keep this perspective in mind, I have greater hope, more peace of mind, and very few enemies. To put it another way, I win!