So…Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States of America. Today there are many voters (and I suspect non-voters) who are ecstatic and many who are completely bummed. I am the latter. That being said, there are a couple of things worth celebrating.
First ~ The comfort that comes from knowing that God is in control. God is the creator and controller of the universe and all that is in it. We cannot expect to fully understand the purposes for things that happen during our lifetime, and most likely will not until He calls us home. Guess what else? We know that He loves us too much to harm us, and that He is far more concerned with our welfare than we are. God’s choices are always right. He is capable of carrying out any project to a successful conclusion without the possibility of fault or failure, even if we don’t see it at the time. Nothing in His universe happens by chance or accident. For every effect there is a cause. This scripture helps bring it all together:
(11) In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, (12) so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:11-12 (ESV)
Yes, God is indeed in control.
Second ~ President-elect Obama’s victory has made a resounding statement about racial issues in our country. It’s undeniable. The whole world is looking at us right now, because we have done what no other democratic nation has and what some countries thought America would never do: we have elected a “racial” minority as President. Not only that, but the man who will be our 44th president was dismissed as a serious contender by political experts just a couple of years ago. In many states, Obama polled better among anglo voters than John Kerry did! Let’s look at Iowa. Which President-elect Obama won the primary, basically pushing him to the front-runner position overnight! Last night, Iowa was a blue state. It’s important to note that Iowa’s population is only 2% African-American! It’s also important to note that according to ABC News exit polls only 11% of the voting public considered race to be an issue when voting. (I’d like to see the data on that one…I’m just sayin…). Regardless…the United States electing a black president is historical my loves, and we are a part of that history. That’s exciting.
Third ~ The numbers (47%) in Senator John McCain’s column were much stronger than most people, especially the Obama camp believed he would achieve. The economic situation strongly favored the Democratic Party. And yet 47% of Americans voted for the Arizona senator, one of the most heroic soldiers and political servants in our nation’s history. I believe that even though Senator McCain did not win the job of Commander-in-Chief, he did win the respect of the American people. And again loves, we are a more grateful nation because of it, and this… is good news.
So, let’s put away the “red state” – “blue state” declarations, we are The United States of America. We are a Christian nation. There is no doubt in our minds that President-elect Obama will face some of the gravest challenges since the Great Depression. I also believe that what Obama does during his tenure in office will define his presidency, not what he says. We as Christians owe our new president and his cabinet our consistent and passionate intercession. We are commanded to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2) and to support their leadership (Romans 13:1). I will be praying for President-elect Obama every day of his administration, and urge you to join me. Our new president concluded his remarks last night with the prayer, “May God bless the United States of America.” , while I pray that he truly means that, I also join him in that prayer, won’t you join me?
OK ~ Honestly…I sincerely mean all that…but I am scared for our country y’all….
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