‘Twas the night before elections…

And I can’t shake the words of Abraham Lincoln. “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Should we have such a concern?

There is a parallel thought in the book of Joshua. Commander Joshua is on the verge of his signature victory over the city of Jericho. The walls are about to come down and word is about to spread, but not before he has a life-altering encounter with a mysterious being standing with a sword drawn. Joshua’s mama didn’t raise a fool so he asks the rational question:

“Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” (5:13)

Good question. Whose side are you on? Is God a Democrat or a Republican?

The response is priceless: “No.”

No? What kind of an answer is No? What do you do with No? When it’s the angel of the Lord, you listen to rest of the message: “But I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” (5:14) Translation? I have not come to take sides; I have come to take over.

I am praying today for God’s will to be done on the earth as it is in heaven. I pray for God’s people called by God’s name to humble themselves and pray, and turn from our wicked ways. I pray for God to heal our land. I pray for the politicians that will give us the best shot of being on God’s side. I pray for our future president to have a Joshua-type encounter with God. I am fully aware that my country may be a drop in the bucket in the global plans of God; I am aware that our sins are many; I am aware that God will not gloss over injustice and innocent bloodshed; so I pray for mercy. I plead the blood of Jesus over my sins and the sins of my nation. I pray for my country to be a place where God might say, “Now I have come.”

By all means, vote. But enough natural.

You have not because you ask not. Get off the computer, put down your smart phone, and pray.

Come, Jesus. Take over.