So, it’s over.  After 2+ years of campaigning, challenging, discussing, debating, and eventually voting our Presidential election is over.  Some people went to bed last night feeling like they “won.”  Others went to bed sensing all had been “lost.”  Some awakened this morning with a sense that “change” was in the air.  Others woke wondering, “Will we ever be the same.”

A couple of things struck me yesterday as I went to vote and then subsequently waited for the results.  First, as you and I and many others spent the day, most of the evening, and into the night wondering, “Who’s gonna win?” God already knew.  Think about it:  Last winter and spring when we weren’t sure of who was going to make it out of the primaries, God knew.  This summer when the nation was waiting in suspense wondering, “Who will be the vice-presidential nominees for each party?” God already knew their names.  Over the course of the past several weeks, even before one early ballot vote had been cast, God knew what would happen.  Romans 13:1 says, “Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there.  All governments have been placed in power by God.” (emphasis mine)  What the Apostle Paul writes in those words are an echoing of Jesus’ statement when he said to Pilate, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above.” (emphasis mine).  Believe it or not, God was not surprised by voter turnout or the results of the election.

The second thought was this:  As a Christian I have a personal responsibility and a great privilege to pray for this country’s leaders.  Once again the Apostle Paul in writing to Timothy wrote, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people.  As you make your requests, plead for God’s mercy upon them, and give thanks.  Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity.”  No matter which side of the aisle we support or how we feel about a particular election, we still have a responsiblity and a privilege to pray.  Can you imagine what kind of potential lays out in the future if we will all commit to prayer?  Jesus’ prayer in John 17 was filled with thoughts of unity.  Could it be that if we prayed we could experience unity?  Paul goes on to write, “This is good and pleases God our Savior.”  Do we want to please God?  Do we want to do good?  Well, in this instance it’s easy . . . we pray.

Can we do that?  I believe we can.

Have a great week and don’t forget to go to www.lifechange.fcc-online.org you don’t want to miss the stories of life change that are taking place.