As many watch and cringe over the debate and primary poll numbers this election season, we worry that our Country is turning into a waste right before our very eyes. The democracy and freedom to have anyone become president was taken so literally to where basically everyone has signed up for the job. It is a scary thought to not be able to look ahead in the future and see how this decision will affect our country in the long run. Therefore this election season, my slogan is, “In God We Trust”.
There are countless times in the bible when God has freed his people from false idealistic leaders and given them a promised land in exchange for their trust and love for him. If this doesn’t ring a bell for you, here is one of the most well-known emancipations God has done for his people.
Exodus 5 begins the ground work for the emancipation of the Israelites out of Egypt into their promised land. Pharaoh has denied their request to go and worship for three days in the desert instead of working on his city, concurrently he has increased their work load without increasing pay. This angered God and he spoke to Moses saying he will free all his people from the oppression of this false god. God sent Moses and Aaron to reason with Pharaoh many times, he sent ten plagues onto Egypt to hurt and destroy the once great city for not believing in him and putting their faith and trust in Pharaoh. Finally, in Exodus 14, God leads the people of Israel to the Red Sea. With the rows and rows of military charging toward them, Moses spoke out to the fearing people, “Do not be afraid! Be strong, and see how the Lord will save you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today, you will never see again.The Lord will fight for you. You need only be still.” With this, Moses lifted his special stick into the air and there became a stir within the Red sea, the water rose and pushed to either side as if they were polar magnets and the sea floor was visible to all the Israelites on the shore. The Israelites walked through the middle of the parted Red Sea, safely making it to the other side and once this had been accomplished, the waters crashed over all the Egyptian war wagons that followed their path. The Israelites were saved and freed by God just as he promised.
This story has a lot to do with our election season. We have had our Pharaohs, the candidates, share their views on those things plaguing our Country today: terrorism, gun violence, rioting, ISIS, the economy, racism, veteran affairs and unemployment and what we have seen is that they have hardened hearts just as pharaoh did. They do not fear this plagues that cause deficits in their people’s lives and they trust military or money. How did that work out for Egypt again? None of these candidates have really stuck out and have made even remotely plausible points for how we could combat such great plagues.
Then, there is the way the people distrusted God as they watched the ambush of war wagons nearing their camp, they turned from God and Moses and feared for their lives. As Americans, founded on Christian beliefs, we trusted God to free us from England, we gained independence over the biggest military in the World at the time and we all think this is because we were stronger or smarter or more equipped to do so? We were trusting God and praying to God in our time of need and doubt in the outcome. Now we look to the most popular candidate or the one who has promised us the most opportunity as people. The only one who can make promises like that is God and I don’t see him up at the podium.
Honestly though, the biggest distrust in God is made by those Americans who try and pull God and Christian morals out of the State and try to make politics about politics only. However, they will turn to God when their days are numbered to bring them into the land that he promised. We all have some sort of picture of what happens when our body’s die, if you’re like the majority of Americans you believe in some rendition of heaven. This is the problem, people believe God can bless them in their next life but that he cannot help their current situation on Earth. So we choose to worship and trust false gods such as the president because he/she promised tax breaks and less immigrants or student loan forgiveness. Yet, they go against God at every corner stating Planned Parenthood is a just and helpful organization or profiling one group’s actions because of race, religion, sex, or orientation.
In this country, people want you to take God out of the equation to better rationalize your evaluation of candidates but the only perfect judge is God. So, abandoning his advice in such a high-risk situation makes you as weak and as helpless as the Egyptians drowning in the Red Sea. This is why I am urging you, when watching and casting your vote this election season, just trust God.