Today is election day – and we voted. Like many of our friends, the experience left a knot in my stomach, without even knowing the results yet. I was going to say, “without knowing who won the race,” but I think it’s been stated ad nauseaum through every means and venue possible that, whoever is elected, not many of us will feel like we are really “winning.” Maybe Charlie Sheen…I don’t know…
Anyway, we have been praying. Going through scripture to help us make sense of the state of our elections, country and world. A verse came to mind that doesn’t actually directly fit the context of our current situation, but is more of a revealing statement about my own relationship with God and what he continues to teach ME about Himself.
In John 6, Jesus had been teaching his disciples, in their words, “hard teachings.” CRAZY stuff that they couldn’t understand yet, like Jesus telling them about this bread that just comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. They piped up and said, “Well, we’d like some of THAT bread.” Jesus said, “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE.” And they were all…”Whaaaatttt?” I won’t recount all of those teachings here, but go read it – it’s good stuff.
The verse that came to mind in that chapter is from Peter. It is an exasperation. It is something you say when you have that moment of clarity and desperation at the end of your rope and you realize that…You. Are. Not. In. Control. Not even a little bit, in the grand scheme of things.
Disciples were abandoning ship like crazy and Jesus asked the Twelve, “You do not want to leave too, do you?”
In verse 68 – “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.’ “
He says, “Lord, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GO?” That is the question I ask of God way too often for me to admit. Lord, what OTHER options do we have? Because honestly, Yours are HARD sometimes. We have tried putting our trust in ourselves, in our bank accounts, in possessions, in our friends, in our families, and yes — in our leaders. With Peter, I say that we have examined them all and they ALL eventually come up short.
Peter was saying, “I realize now that the answer to LIFE – this one and the next – is only found in You, Lord.” Whether we come to this realization willingly or kicking and screaming, at times, He is asking me (and you), “Do you TRUST ME?”
Do you trust Me with your relationships? with raising your kids? with loving your spouse? with your finances? with your job?
DO YOU TRUST ME to use whomever you elect as the leader of your country for MY purposes? Do you think that is beyond My reach? Do you not remember how I pared down Gideon’s army to THREE HUNDRED to defeat the vast Midianite army of thousands, just so they couldn’t boast, “My own strength has saved me.” (Judges 7:2)?
So, maybe we don’t have a candidate that many of us can get behind to say, “Oh, well, ________ is going to SAVE us now.” It occurs to me that it wouldn’t be ridiculous to think that – maybe that’s by God’s design and not just a sucky hand we seem to have been dealt. I don’t know for sure — those thoughts are way above my small human mind…
I do know that, today, I pray, “Lord, we have nowhere else to go but You and I trust my life and my country to Your hands.” Amen.
