ISAIAH 48:17-19: “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go. Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Your descendants also would have been like the sand, And the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; His name would not have been cut off Nor destroyed from before Me.” NKJV‬‬

OBSERVATIONS: The eyes of the world are focused on the election that will take place in the United States on November 3. There has never been a sharper contrast between two candidates. This year’s election makes the election of 2016 look like child’s play.

THE FUTURE OF THE FREE WORLD STANDS IN THE BALANCE.

I love my country. My father served in World War II. I have had the privilege of serving many veterans in my years as a pastor. I love the sacrifice and selflessness they have shown in standing up for the freedom of those they did not even know, as they fought for the freedom of their families and the country that they love. I too realize the great importance of the election on November 3. And, I am positioned in prayer seeking God’s intervention and mercy.

However, as I read these verses in Isaiah I am reminded that it is never about the election. The future of our lives, the source of our peace, the hope for our children, never rests in the hands of men. As Christians, we need to be reminded that Jesus is Lord. Jesus was Lord as a cruel Roman Emperor ruled the world. Jesus is Lord regardless of who is elected. Rest assured, this election cycle will not take our Lord Jesus Christ by surprise!

It is clearly evident that we are in the last days. As one reads the book of Revelation, we are reminded that difficult days are ahead. Personally, I take comfort in the hope of the rapture of the church before the Great Tribulation. However, it is clear that the stage is being set for a vast army of over 200 million who will wreak havoc upon the world (Revelation 9). Even now, China has declared its desire to be the number one military superpower by the year 2049.

So, if it is not the election that is the answer, what is it? It is our faith and obedience to Almighty God! The Gospel went forth in power under the cruel regime of the Roman Empire. The Gospel is exploding in Communist China. The power of God and our personal peace are not affected by who holds the White House. The key is,

WHO HOLDS OUR HEART?

• “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.”

We love to quote II Chronicles 7:14 – “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
‭‭II Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬. Yet, quoting this verse is not what we need.

WE NEED TO DO IT!

Just as surely as every good citizen of the United States needs to go and vote their values in this upcoming election, so every believer needs to go to their prayer closet and seek the Lord. It is the Lord who teaches us to profit. It is the Lord who leads us by the way that we should go.

WE NEED TO RETURN TO THE LORD!

• “Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Your descendants also would have been like the sand, And the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; His name would not have been cut off Nor destroyed from before Me.”

It is important to notice that God’s promise to His people has nothing to do with the governments of this world. In fact, the governments of this world are controlled by the Lord and they are a direct reflection of the heart of His people. It is always God’s desire to send us peace like a river, righteousness like the waves of the sea. Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly.

THE CHOICE IS UP TO EACH ONE OF US!

If we place our faith in our elected officials, we will always be disappointed. As noble as one may be, they are merely human and ultimately powerless to move the events of the world. The world and its trajectory are in the hands of the Lord. Everything that is happening is moving according to His prophetic time-table. We cannot stop its forward motion. We can only be obedient and cooperate with His plan to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I want to spend my retirement years in health and safety, enjoying each day with the ones I love. However, it is more important that I spend each day engaged in the will of God for my life. The preaching of the Gospel, the making of disciples, is the most important calling in my life. If it means a sacrifice in my personal comfort, so be it. My hope cannot rest in a political system or a candidate. My hope must be anchored in the – LORD, my Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel – who teaches me to profit. Who leads me by the way that I should go!

Lord, direct my heart and my eyes toward heaven. Let me lay all my earthly cares at the foot of the cross. May I do my civic duty and vote on November 3 for candidates that support the values of faith, family, and the sanctity of human life. Yet, let me put my trust fully in You. May I seek You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. May I look to You in faith –

FOR YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWS NIGH!

In Jesus Name!