Thoughts On This Upcoming Election

E and I just started reading through the book of Isaiah. I honestly didn't approach it with much excitement because for some reason anything Old Testament just sounds...well, old lol. None the less, I'm only in the third chapter and I find it so interesting. (Side note: We both use the ESV study Bible and I am soooo grateful for it. The commentary gives the historical background and explains the purpose of the book so you're not left in the dark when you read references to a person or a people, etc. If you are frustrated with reading your Bible, PLEASE pick this up!)

Anyways, today I read chapter 3 and immediately thought about the upcoming elections. Yesterday I left off on the verse found in Isaiah Chapter 2:

Vs 3. "Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?" 

It's very easy to look to man, whether it be our pastor, our parents our political leaders or even our spouse. I'm sure all of us have put stock in some sort of human being and quickly found ourselves let down by their failures. We are all equally human, all equally inadequate and all equally incapable of replacing the glory of God.

Chapter 3 goes on to talk about all that God can take away (both support and supply). He lists them here:

Vs 1-4. "For behold, the Lord God of hosts is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah support and supply, all support of bread and all support of water; the mighty man and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the skillful magician and the expert in charms. And I will make boys their princes and infants shall rule over them." 

Basically, God is saying that He is going to take away everything these people have depended on or held in high regard and that was only a tiny display of His power. He judged his people by removing the leaders who were considered irreplaceable and replaced them with "boys and infants."

Verse 8 goes on to say...

"For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence."

The commentary from the ESV Bible explains this best,

The explanation for the nation's social collapse lies in their hostility toward God -- defying his glorious presence. They obstinately disregard God's presence in their midst, though his nearness is the hope they ought to cherish. 

Please keep in mind, these passages are setting us up for the coming of Christ. We are not left hopeless. I write all this to say that during this upcoming election time, we should not stress over who becomes our leader. There is no point in worrying. I do think it's our duty to vote and make people aware of the different stances each political figure takes, but ultimately our faith should not be placed in any one man. The reason for our nation's problems is because our eyes (as a whole) have been taken off the Lord. Like the Israelite nation, we are defying His glorious presence. There needs to be a change of heart in our people before there is ever any real change in our country.

Both E and I are not ones to talk on politics, but after reading this today and recently having a conversation with someone on this matter, I think it's an important reminder. We still should pray for our future leaders and current leaders. If God has the power to work in your life and mine, then there is no exception why He can't work in our leaders. We must also remember that He set the world in motion and allows all things to happen so that His plan may be fulfilled. This is not the first time in history that we have had an economic collapse and it may not be the last. Our response to all this is first doing our part by dying to self daily and always clinging to the promise of hope.