Header Graphic
Devotions > To Vote or not to Vote


23 Oct 2016

The requirements for revival are described in this verse, what is our part, and what is God’s part. Notice particularly the four responsibilities that God has said we must fulfill.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)
14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Today as we face a critical election in our land, our choice should not be to hide from this opportunity.   We must not let our desire for godly leaders keep us away from the polls!    Statistics indicate that many believers stayed away from the polls eight years ago, which appears to have resulted in significant deterioration of our freedoms.

The next appointment on our U S Supreme Court will likely be made in the next few months by the winner of this Presidential election.   We should not only vote but our vote should be cast for the candidate that will provide the best opportunity for the laws and ways of God to be honored in our local, state and national public life.  Perfection is not a requirement, but improvement certainly is.   Up and down the tickets from local school boards to the President of the United States we have imperfect people running for offices.  We are all imperfect.  Yes some are no doubt more imperfect than others, however at this point in our process we can only chose the best of the options available.  

While reading the Bible a few days ago this verse jumped off of the page:

Jeremiah 15:4 (NASB)
4  "I will make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

 

I would strongly encourage you to read carefully this passage again along with the entire fifteenth Chapter of Jeremiah.  It is here that you will find  the context for this verse but you will also find hope.   These words were written to the Nation of Israel not the United States and we should take this into careful consideration.   Nevertheless many believe that we serve a God who will relent if those who are called by His name will repent.  In fact the Bible has many proof texts to this point.  Perhaps a case could be made that those who are called by His name have been primarily responsible for the condition of our land.  We have often chosen our own preferences and served self rather than serving our Lord and allowing Him to use us to expand His kingdom here in America.

 

Could it be that two hundred years from now history will reflect that believers in the USA were asleep, enjoying unspeakable prosperity while the Nation crumbled from within and God brought destruction from some unforeseen source? Could it be that we will be the next Babylon?  See below a picture of the final day of Babylon of old.

 

 Daniel 5:1-7, 22-30 (NASB)
1  Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.
2  When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them.
3  Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.
4  They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5  Suddenly the fingers of a man's hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing.
6  Then the king's face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together.
7  The king called aloud to bring in the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Any man who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be clothed with purple and have a necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as third ruler in the kingdom."

 

Daniel’s response to Belshazzar:


22  "Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this,
23  but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified.
24  "Then the hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.
25  "Now this is the inscription that was written out: 'MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.'
26  "This is the interpretation of the message: 'MENE'—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.
27  " 'TEKEL'—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.
28  " 'PERES'—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians."
29  Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.
30  That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.

 

God is a forgiving God.   His forgiveness is amazing when His people humble themselves and pray.   Notice the amazing forgiveness God gave to of Ahab one of the wicked kings of the Nation of Israel:

 

 1 Kings 21:25-29 (NASB)
25  Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him.
26  He acted very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the sons of Israel.
27  It came about when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently.
28  Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29  "Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son's days."

When God said if we would humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways He would hear and forgive our sins and heal our land He meant it!  He will do His part if we will do our part.  

Our process is to elect leaders and these elected leaders provide much direction for our nation.   We must elect leaders in this election that will lead us away from the murder of the unborn.  We must elect leaders who will work to maintain the biblical definition of the family.   We must elect leaders who will provide leadership in fiscal responsibility.

  God will judge us as a nation for the leaders we elect and the paths on which they lead us just as He has judged Israel and many other nations.  We need to elect leaders who will lead us as a Nation toward righteousness and truth.   Our children and grandchildren will inherit the outcome of our choices.  See below the revealed perspective of God regarding our choices.

Jeremiah 18:5-10 (NASB)
5  Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,
6  "Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.
7  "At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it;
8  if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.
9  "Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it;
10  if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.

This scripture again reminds us that our choices make a difference.   We need to one by one, those who are called by His Name, repent and ask God to forgive us and direct us as a nation and as individuals.  We need to pray for ourselves and for all who name the Name of Jesus that we will walk by the Spirit and thus bring glory to God in our land.

In many ways we who are called by His name have collectively failed our nation.   We have been generally more concerned about our preferences than our neighbors.   We have accepted the salvation of Jesus Christ for ourselves and failed to become prayer warriors and ambassadors for Jesus in our communities and schools and even in some cases in our families.   We have all failed in some ways, but let us repent of our failures.   Let us start anew today to serve God with no holds barred and let us vote as the Holy Spirit directs.

Jeffry Williams