Of Kings and Presidents

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities,

 for there is no authority except that

which God has established.

The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Romans 13:1

The girls I knew in middle school adorned their bedroom walls with posters of Donny Osmond and Leif Garrett, but not me. I had two posters in my bedroom: one was a mosaic of Abraham Lincoln made up of small black and white photos from the Civil War, and the other was of Roseanne Roseannadanna (Gilda Radner) from Saturday Night Live.

I guess you could say I was into politics and humor, which may explain (1.) why I once worked as a radio news reporter/anchor and (2.) why I married Greg Rahal. (He makes me laugh every day.)

The landscape that shaped my political views looks nothing like today’s terrain. "Political debates" have morphed into "discord matches" where "opponents" rather than "candidates" elevate their "agendas" instead of their "abilities" to govern. What ever happened to humility, compassion, unity, and responsibility? Today’s political atmosphere reeks heavily of pride, malice, conflict, and blame.

I’ll be honest: I don’t have a lot of faith in either presidential candidate or in the wisdom of our congressional leaders to put the interest of the nation above their own personal desires. (I’m sure I ruffled a few feathers with that sentence, but I’m just speaking my truth.)

However, I can and do put my faith in Jesus in Christ to provide our country with leaders who will bring about his will, regardless of whether that corresponds with our will or not.

God chose Moses to lead his people out of Egypt, but Moses didn’t have their full support. In Exodus 6:6–7, God says to Moses, "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.'"

Verse 9 goes on to say, "Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage." The people needed Moses to lead them, but they didn’t know it. More importantly, their freedom was God's desire.

God’s view is so much bigger than our own. He sees what we do not and provides us with leaders who will fulfill a specific purpose.

God chose Saul as Israel’s first king because he was "an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the others" (1 Samuel 9:2). Not only would he physically appeal to the people, but he would also accomplish the task God had in mind, which was to deliver God’s people from the hand of the Philistines. Saul was the best candidate for God’s plan.

Unfortunately, Saul’s pride eventually got the better of him, which forced God to choose another man to take his place. Samuel informed Saul of the change with these words: "You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command" (1 Samuel 13:13–14).

As you know, David was the man after God’s own heart, and he ruled the nation of Israel for over thirty years. But after David and his son Solomon’s rule, a string of terrible kings took the throne. 1 and 2 Kings describes them as rulers who "did evil in the eyes of the Lord." Why would God allow this? Perhaps to teach the people a lesson.

Judah had become a nation of idols and false prophets under constant attack from neighboring nations and changing allegiances. Faced with disaster, God told the prophet Jeremiah to instruct the people to repent and reform their ways. When they did not listen, God handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon with this directive: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage ... Increase in number there; do not decrease" (Jeremiah 29:4–6).

It may seem like a strange command, but through submission and repentance, God would protect his people so they could thrive and become a strong nation again. God used the Israelite's enemy, Nebuchadnezzar, to both discipline and strengthen his people.

Here’s the point: Whatever your political affiliation, let us prepare to accept the outcome of the next election as God-ordained. "For dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations" (Psalm 22:28).

My personal prayer is for God to give us the president we need, one who fulfills a specific purpose that is good for his people and his kingdom. "I urge you, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1–3).

And may we never forget that we are all under the authority of one supreme ruler who is the Alpha and Omega—the beginning and the end, the one who is and was and is to come. "To to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end" (Isaiah 9:6–7).

THE SONG THAT COMES TO MIND is King of the World by Natalie Grant.

Favorite lyric: “When did I forget that you’ve always been the King of the world?”