Vote – and Vote Wisely

Many in national leadership have proven without a doubt to be incompetent. On November 4, they must be replaced by principled, qualified leaders in the House, Senate, and many local elections. It is the responsibility and privilege of every American to vote. It is certainly the responsibility of Christians who claim to know a God who cares and offers supernatural guidance.

You will be hearing much from political parties and candidates. They will point to our nation’s problems and claim they have solutions. What should we believe? Who should we support? When Moses needed leaders for Israel, his father-in-law Jethro gave him the always-to-be-trusted formula: “Select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain…”^[1] Please pray and by all means vote and vote principle.

All voters should follow Jethro’s advice. Stand for God’s kingdom principles! Don’t be overly impressed by a party’s rhetoric, a slick speech, a pleasant smile, or an attractive personality. For every problem, challenge, mountain, or valley we face, there is a God bigger than any challenge – bigger than any mountain. Jesus said, “You can level the mountain and cast it into the sea.” He promised to be with us in every valley – even in death’s dark shadow. God has made it very clear, “There is not a ditch or a pit that I can’t lift you out of.”

Whether you are registered as a Democrat or a Republican, you will not ride a donkey or an elephant to ultimate victory. God alone can lift our nation out of the valley of despair and empower you to overcome challenges and obstacles. Let’s settle it once and for all: NO PHAROAH, KING, UNCLE SAM, PRESIDENT, OR EARTHLY RULER IS ADEQUATE FOR THE TASK. We must hear God and follow His direction.

Whatever political banner you may wave, you need the banner of the Lord and the principles of Almighty God or you are going nowhere but down. The way up is God. The way out is Divine Direction. True north is always found pointing to the Father. Set your course according to the one undeniable reliable compass and sail our ship of state in that direction. Insist on a crew that will do it and join with other passengers demanding the necessary course correction.

If you want poverty and unemployment properly addressed and meaningful programs sustained, stop the insanity! We can’t spend money we don’t have. You can’t rob from the yet- to-be-born and steal from our children, their children, and future generations. This is a blatant disregard of the eighth commandment, “Thou shalt not steal.”^[2] It is essential for all of us to help shoulder the load and be willing to sacrifice, but we must not expect any one group to provide more money to be misused when we haven’t first diligently cut excess and corrected failed programs. The American people are not responsible for buying every family considered to be below the “poverty level” smart phones for their children, Xboxes, and expensive athletic shoes.

I don’t know anyone more anxious to assist the suffering, the poor, the hurting, and the helpless than Betty and I and our friends who watch LIFE Today and support the outreaches of LIFE. I personally believe nearly every American is anxious to find ways to effectively help the poor, the hopeless, the homeless, and certainly our veterans. Every true American also wants to effectively address the healthcare crisis in a meaningful way, but we’re going to contribute to a psychological, mental, and emotional collapse if we don’t get our head out of the sand and move in the right direction. Principled American leaders who believe prayer can actually help need to come to the table of reason, laying aside foolish partisanship, and effectively address our challenges.

The history of our country is but a short chapter in God’s grand, unfolding cosmic drama. Yet it is the chapter in which we live and choose and act. We have been told how the story ends, but not how our chapter ends, perhaps because, mysteriously, it is given to us to help write it. Our hands are feeble, our eyes are dim, and our resolve is weak. Yet we must face the trouble now if our children are to live in peace. So let us pray more fervently than we have ever prayed for a historic outpouring of the Holy Spirit on us, His Church. Not an outpouring that merely moves us to tears, but a cascading waterfall of God’s suffering and abiding love, which will lead us to act with bravery, to walk with integrity, and to stand in unity for the renewal of our culture and the restoration of our nation – one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.^[3]