Psalm 118:8-9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in humans.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.

This is certainly a timely passage, with an American mid-term election coming up! We are very prone to trust what we can see and feel and be leery of things that don’t fit that category, but actually, the physical universe is temporary, and God is eternal. That applies multiple times when it comes to politicians! Even the ones who are honest and conscientious are clearly fallible, and are to be taken with a large grain of salt. That’s not at all to say that we aren’t to participate in the political process. It is a huge blessing to live in a country that has a representative form of government, and we are not to take that lightly. Paul’s words to Timothy about praying for leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2) are certainly as valuable today as when he wrote them. However, in those days they had no voice in choosing who those leaders were, and today, a major percentage of the world’s population does have that voice. Failing to exercise that privilege is irresponsible to say the least. That said, a number of the choices coming up in the US next month are a matter of holding your nose as you vote. It is certainly a matter of choosing to trust God and seek His guidance, rather than simply going by human standards. It is interesting to note that the Japanese translation uses different terms for “trust,” in both verses. Trusting the Lord is expressed as making Him our refuge, our “hiding place,” as several Bible passages express it, while trusting people, including leaders, is expressed as a mental or emotional response. There really is a difference! Only God is worthy of yielding everything to Him, including life itself.

I think the Lord has led me pretty far along in this area. I have an implicit and explicit faith that God has my best interest in mind, and He is omnipotent. At the same time, I have been disappointed and failed by people – including myself – more times than I could possibly count. I have applied to vote absentee in the coming election (though our ballots haven’t yet arrived) but I have no question that the candidates are at least as much in need to God’s direction as I am. I try to choose those who seem most like they will listen to Him! There are many, many dangers involved in this election, but then, that’s the case with most elections. I am to pray that God’s children, those who actively seek His will, will actually get off their duff and vote, because participation is a vital factor in every election, and the devil is all too effective in getting his troops to move. Whatever the result, I am to be neither triumphant nor despondent, but keep my trust and expectations in the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He alone is worthy of my total trust.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I am most involved in US politics, since that is where I can vote, but this question applies in most of the countries of the world. Thank You for the movement that has been seen recently in many countries of South and Central America, with corruption being rejected and leaders actively seeking the good of the people. May indeed Your rule and reign be established in this earth, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!