Jewells of Thought

Lately pundits on the Republican and Conservative side keep repeating this statistic. Multiple times on different shows the number 40% of Christians do not vote. Even Trump had the line in his speech at least once if not every ‘Trump Rally’ that is really a shocking rate.

Growing up voting in my family and church was a sacred as well as civic duty. I may live in a supposed ‘Red State,’ but I didn’t realize Christians specifically were staying away from voting locations. It was a matter of pride, especially with my Grandfathers who had served honorably in our military. There was never a doubt as to whether we should or shouldn’t vote; only when can I vote.

My first election was exciting. Bush Jr was the Republican nominee and I remember the talks with Grandpa Freddy over voting. Plus we were farming so we all went together early in the morning. I do remember getting up around 6 am to 6:30 to go up to Dugger to vote. Then our guys would separate from us and head towards the fields to harvest or get ready to harvest. Back then we found out the winner in one day. Wow that seems like forever ago now, but it was only maybe 20 years.

God wants us to pray for our leaders. It was never meant for the Christians to separate from the cities and towns we live in. Whether those leaders are Godly people people or not without Christians these cities will be much worse off. The Bible is much more than just a history of the Jewish people and their land. God gave us these examples of kingdoms and ordinary citizens to show us what can be done in the face of such brash pagan lifestyles. I mean Moses is one of the amazing leaders of Israel and look how long the Mosiac Law has lasted in this World when it comes to the rule of laws upheld by much of the world in various forms. I believe that law predates the Code of Hammurabi from Babylon.

There are so many examples of how God used His people in cities and kingdoms that needed to see God’s power from Egypt to Babylon to Moab and Jericho. This could be a long list if I were not to digress right now.

One of the questions the Pharisees tried to stump Christ with was paying taxes. Christ didn’t allow Himself to be cornered the way they wanted him to be though. He surprised them by saying, Render therefore the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” It was a simple statement showing that we are to heed the authority of government, but there is also the command to pray for those in our lives over us as well. So we can ascertain what we should do as His statement says, but also pray and be vigilant with what our government is doing. Don’t hide your head in the sand.

One of the mesmerizing examples from the Bible about leaders I think is in Daniel chapter 3. Three men would not bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. For their disobedience they were to be cast into the fiery furnace. The men who bound these three men together, were killed by the violent flame and yet not the bound men. These three men Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not in the furnace alone though.

Daniel 3:25 says, “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” In verse 28, Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed by the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any God, except their own God.”

This is the work of our omniscient God. We are to administer to all of society. Especially that of our political realm and most importantly keep our leaders in continuous prayer. We have just witnessed a second assassination attempt of one man who is a former president and a candidate for president we are in uncharted territory in this country. Yet it was undoubtedly in God’s will for his life to be spared both times. We need to double down even more on our prayer time for this country right now with the short amount of time to Election Day.

The rhetoric that seems to be heavily accentuated from the Democrats and the Liberals needs to be dialed down immensely. They believe they have a monopoly on power and the right to use the word Democracy. They have forgotten that we are a Constitutional Republic more than a Democracy. It still doesn’t change the fact that their policies will not help our Democracy or our Republic in the end they are simply fear-mongering which goes against God’s Great Commission of going out to the masses to spread the Gospel. It was America that gave missionary work the farthest push throughout the world as Christ had mandated before His ascension.

Yet only 40% of Christian Americans are said to vote. Can we make that a better number this Election Year? Don’t we owe it to ourselves and our posterity’s sake to do so? Has God been speaking to you about this vote this November 5th?