Ok, you got me. The title of this blog post was clickbait! But, you’re here now, so let’s have a discussion. Has God ever voted for a candidate, figuratively speaking? In a sense, yes. Every winner of every election is decreed by the Lord. Every leader of every nation in all of history has been appointed by the Lord. So, why would God sovereignly place unrighteous people in positions of influence and power? Here are a few points to consider:

GOD USES UNRIGHTEOUS PEOPLE TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSES. 

The question is answered by the truth that God actually supports only one candidate: Jesus Christ as dictator of the planet. History has an end point: the benevolent, dictatorial rule of Jesus. Jesus will come in glory and majesty and win the battle that’s been raging since Genesis 3. We rejected God’s rule in the Garden of Eden, and someday the world will be forced to re-accept Christ’s rule. Some will do it willingly, others will bow the knee while “standing up” in their hearts. This 1000-year reign will culminate in one final battle and then Jesus will reign with no resistance for all of eternity. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

In order to get from point A to point B, God is sovereignly using despicable people. Because we live in a fallen world, every leader is fallen and fundamentally flawed. To say it differently: the only kind of kings God can choose from are despicable people, because humanity is “deceitful and exceedingly wicked,” Jeremiah 17:9.

We may not like certain presidents. Our leaders might display deeply flawed character or policies. Yet, God is using every one of them to move us from point A to point B. Proverbs 21:1 illustrates this clearly in stating,

“A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever he chooses.”

This means even evil actions are appointed by God for a purpose. God is not the source of evil, but he uses it for his purposes.

IT’S OK TO BE FRUSTRATED WITH HOW GOD WORKS

What if you voted for the losing candidate, did you vote against God’s will? No, because God figuratively says to us, “Do as I say, not as I do!” God might want you to vote for the losing candidate while at the same time ordaining the winning candidate. Each believer needs to set a voting direction based upon alignment with God’s Word. The outcome of elections, however, is God’s hands.

Does this frustrate you? I hope so. The Bible never says God’s sovereignty will be easy to swallow like cherry-flavored cough syrup. The Psalms are replete with saints who struggled deeply with their God-appointed circumstances.

I want to direct our attention to the book of Habakkuk. He had a tough road to hoe. God charged him to preach judgment to the kingdom of Judah, and this would happen at the hands of the more evil Babylonians. How is that fair? In a moment of respectful frustration, Habakkuk complains,

“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous? Why are you silent while one who is wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than himself?” Habakkuk 1:13

To summarize, Habakkuk is saying, “God, you’ve got to be kidding me! You’re using the wretched Babylonians to exact justice on the less-wretched Israelites? This stinks!” Habakkuk waits for a response, and God answers his frustrated prophet with some assurances.

Before moving on, let’s just admit that some Christians are frustrated by the election results. Sometimes it’s hard to accept God’s sovereign control over this world. We might be fearful of the future of our nation. However, after expressing frustration, we must always adjust our thinking the way Habakkuk did.

FRUSTRATION MUST YIELD TO GOD’S JUSTICE AND GOODNESS 

In chapter 2, God replies to Habakkuk and confirms that justice will be served. He confirms that nothing has jilted his sovereign control over events. He assures him that even the Babylonians will have their day in court. In so many words, he tells Habakkuk, “You let me worry about being God.”

That’s a message we all need to hear. We must seek to faithfully live out the gospel everyday and let God be God. Then, we can experience the joy and peace that the Holy Spirit can give.

Habakkuk was heartbroken over the state of his nation. Yet, he was convinced that God was still God and has the right to rule however he deems fit. The book ends with a beautiful declaration of trust in God, despite the future downfall of his nation. The final verses of Habakkuk serve as the perfect ending to this post. Read them. Meditate on them. Make them yours as you wrestle with the future of our nation:

Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls, yet I will celebrate in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! The Lord my Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!  Habakkuk 3:17-19