After looking through one of the newly improved telescopes at the starry night sky, William Jennings Bryan (1860 – 1925) is recorded to have said, “I guess it doesn’t really matter who wins the election after all.” And Bryan should know. He had more electoral votes than any other Presidential candidate and yet he lost. Even though he accumulated some 493 Electoral College votes, more than any other Presidential candidate, he still lost the election. That’s because those 493 electoral votes were spread out over three Presidential elections: 1896, 1900, 1908. Henry Clay was the only other man who also lost three Presidential bids.
But even before losing the election, after looking up through a newly improved telescope, Bryan came to realization that though the election seemed of such importance to him at that moment and to the men of his time, yet there was a force holding the planets and stars in their course so powerful and awesome that the election seemed miniscule in comparison.
Other great men before and after Bryan have come to the same conclusion. Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865) had said, “I can see how it is possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heaven and say, “There is no God.”
Sir Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727) another man with a telescope had expressed the same idea some years earlier. “This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being…This Being governs all things, not as the soul of the world, but as Lord over all; and on account of His dominion He is wont to be called Lord God, or Universal Ruler.”
Werner von Braun (1912 – 1977) who helped launch America into outer space as one of the top engineers in America’s Aerospace industry said, “For me, the idea of a creation is not conceivable without invoking the necessity of design. One cannot be exposed to the law and order of the universe without concluding that there must be design and purpose.”
What these men are saying is that they believe that there is a God and that He is ultimately in control.
Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955), not a religious person and who did not believe in a personal God, nevertheless said something similar: “…scientist’s religious feelings take the form of rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection.” In other words, compared to that super intelligence all our striving, thinking, and acting were utterly insignificant.
In the book of Psalms from the ancient Hebrew Bible, we find King David around 3,000 years ago writing, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” [Psalm 19:1-3 (NIV)]
A similar thought is found in the Greek New Testament in the words of Apostle Paul, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and God head; so we are without excuse.” [Romans 1:20] Both these authors, King David and Apostle Paul are saying that if we look at nature we will see the hand of God and that He’s in control.
Even the book of Job, believed to be the oldest preserved Scripture, probably from about the time of Abraham or earlier, prior to 2000BC, states, “But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee. Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knows not in all these that the hand of the Lord has wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” [Job 12:7-10] Job is telling us to look at nature, to look at biology, and to look at geology if we doubt there is a God. He is saying that God has the soul of every living creature in His hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands.
Even Jesus makes the same argument in his sermon on the mount. He tells us if God so cares for the birds of the field and the flowers of the field, will He not take care of each one of us? He goes on to tell us not to worry. [Matthew 6:26-34] Why should we not worry? Because God even knows the amount of the hairs on our heads and promises to take care of us just as He cares for the sparrows, not one of which falls to the ground without Him knowing. [Matthew 10:20-31]
So we may look at the election and be worried that God is not in control and things are not going the way we think they should. But God has told us that He can make a crooked path straight, like we say in Portugal: “Deus faz linhas retas, por caminhos tortos,” or God makes a straight line out of a crooked one. Or as we read in Isaiah: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” [Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)]
God’s word clearly teaches that one of the spiritual forces behind the systems of this world is Satan. The Apostle John tells us, “Love not the world nor the things of the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” [1 John 2:15] And, He goes on to write, ”We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness.” [1 John 5:19] Jesus said, “If you were of the world the world would love its own, but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” [John 15:19
Apostle James, Jesus’ brother warned, “You adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” [James 4:4] Even Luke, in his depiction of Jesus’ temptation by the Devil writes , “And the Devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the Devil said onto him, All this power will I give unto thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whosoever I will I give it. If thou therefore will worship me, all shall be thine. [Luke 4:5-7]
Apostle Paul has collaborated with these Scripture by adding, “The God of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, less the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them and they should be saved.” [2 Corinthians 4:4] He told us that there is spiritual wickedness in high places, [Ephesians 6:12] but he went on to say that, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” [Acts 20:24]
In the Psalms we read, “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth He has given to the sons of men.” [Psalm 115:16] God has given mankind free will. From our knowledge of Bible prophecy we know that mankind will not choose to follow God. Jesus has told us that many will choose the broad way that leads to destruction. [Matthew 7:13] Therefore, we can conclude that men may very well make the wrong the choices in their politics. Some believe that both political parties, either right or left, are controlled by the same financial and or spiritual powers who can and will manipulate either side for their desires and goals. In the book of Revelation we read, "for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived." [Revelation 18:23b ]
Apostle Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy saying, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come"...(and) "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." [12 Timothy 3:1 & 13] But the time will come when God will need to step in and say “Stop the world!” He will come to “destroy them that destroy the earth.” [Revelation 11:18] It looks like things will get so bad in the future that mankind may even be ready to destroy itself, if God did not intervene. Like Jesus said, “Unless those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” [Matthew 24:23]
The verse summarizing on what our attitude should be toward the election results is found in Romans 8:28. “We know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” Each one of us have been called to His purpose. We heard His call and responded. We now have His purpose hidden in our hearts. We realize that God can and will bring good out of every seemingly evil or bad situation we find ourselves in. In the Proverbs we read, “The Lord has made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.” [Proverbs 16:4] God even has a plan for those that reject Him, though He has no pleasure in their death [Ezekiel 33:11] and would that they all be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. [1 Timothy 2:4] The Lord through Isaiah said, “I form light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” [Isaiah 45:7]
The Lord has given mankind free will. In order for free will to exist, the possibility of evil must exist. In order for true love to exist, free will must exist. True love is dependent on free will. God gave mankind free will knowing that man would abuse it and choose evil over good. But God knows how to teach us from our bad choices. He also has made provision for our bad choices by sending a solution to our problem, giving us a way of escape. He Himself came into humanity and lived the perfect life offering us the way of salvation if we would but take it.
So, yes, everything is ultimately in God’s control. He has given us free will to do as we please. But behind the scenes He is working quietly, secretly to woo us all to Himself. So, no matter who wins the election, the bad or the good, the better or the worse, the right or the wrong; God will let man make his own decisions, but ultimately He will use those decisions to accomplish His purpose . He is calling us all home to Himself, to His arms, to His command to love one another.
From our knowledge of Bible prophecy we know that mankind will not ultimately make the right decisions. Mankind will make the wrong decisions and end up in the hands of the Son of Perdition. [Revelation 13:4-8; 2 Thessalonians 2:3] We know we are moving closer and closer to the fulfilment of those end time prophecies. Many of us have studied the prophecies forty or more years. We know what to expect. We know those days of “Jacob’s trouble” or “Great Tribulation” will be difficult. But we also know that He will be with us and will be helping and empowering us in those evil days, and “the people who know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” [Daniel 11:32b]
Therefore, we can say with William Jennings Bryan: “I guess it really doesn’t matter who wins the election after all.” God is ultimately in control and will work things out for our good. God is with us. He will separate the sheep from the goats, [Matthew 25:32] the wheat from the tares on His return. [Matthew 13:24-30] He admonishes us to fear not [Isaiah 41:10] and keep about His Father’s business of winning hearts, souls, and minds into His kingdom. “Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He comes shall find so doing.” [Matthew 24:46] Jesus said, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life." [Revelation 2:10b]
God has declared “the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” [Isaiah 46:10] Trust Him. He does have the whole world in His hands, and it will all work out in the end for good!
Post Script: I need to add a comment. That's not to say you shouldn't vote and that it doesn't matter. One party may very well be more in line with God's opinion than the others. Pray and ask God to show you what you should do. Evil men triumph often because good men do nothing. Don't be a do nothing-er, be do good-er. One party may be less evil than the other. Ask God for discernment and vote in line with Biblical principles and not according which party will make you richer.
In the end, our faith is in God, that He will save us and provide for us, not in a political party. However, one party may be better than the other and follow more closely the values we believe are important. For God's sake, follow God!
