By: Donna Clark
As I write this article, we are 67 days from a decision that will make a huge impact on the future of our country. We can definitely feel the weight of each election, but with this one, the heaviness of it is extreme. The 2024 presidential election is pivotal in the direction of not just our country but the world. Former President Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris have both stated this is the most important election of our lifetime, the most important in the history of our country. I totally agree. However, there are those that feel these words set a toxic environment for politics. That comment makes me feel that we are to just bury our head in the sand and pretend that everything is fine. I believe you know as well as me, things are not fine…a far cry from it.
Driving home from a doctor’s appointment this week, passing numerous places of worship, businesses that people with dreams and hard work have made successful, I was feeling so thankful for our freedoms and the opportunities given us. I was even thankful that I got to choose the doctor that I wanted, not one chosen for me. With all the faults and failures we have seen over the last years, I’m still thankful to be an American, thankful that I live in a country that is capitalism based, a country that has experienced the blessings of God, and by Him has become the greatest nation in the world. But what if all that is about to change? What if we’re headed down a slippery slope, and if someone doesn’t do something, what will this country look like for my children and my grandchildren? Yes, Trump and Harris, I agree, this is the most important election by far.
I want to make an appeal to all the readers that profess faith and trust in our Savior, Jesus Christ. All who believe in the power of God, this is for you. I’ve struggled writing this article. I do not want to appear judgmental in my delivery, but those of us with this faith, it’s time we step up and kneel down. One of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, when seeing the condition of America, made three proclamations for a day of prayer and fasting. He saw the condition of the nation and he called it just as it was. This man and Congress knew who the true source of power and the agent of real change was. He asked the people to bow in humble submission, confess national sins with a full conviction of the holiness of God, pray with fervency for the pardon of these past offenses, and ask for a blessing on the nation. He did exactly what is instructed in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear and forgive and heal their land.” I believe this Scripture is applicable for us believers today. There is a need for prayer, fervent prayer. No individual under their own power can change the direction of this nation. The responsibility of seeking God’s face lies upon the shoulders of the believers; we are held to this charge.
Before we head to the polls on Tuesday, November 5, take the time to seek God for wisdom. We are bombarded with information from the left and the right. The rhetoric is strong. It’s time to do the fact checking. Look into the actions, decisions of these candidates, research the past. Pray for wisdom and insight. Listen to what each of these candidates are saying, their stand on all the issues, and check it against the Word of God. Do their policies, the laws they claim to put into place – do they reflect the instruction given us in God’s word? Will the direction they take our country honor God?
Lee Greenwood’s song, “I’m Proud to be an American,” still rings true today. Even though my heart is broken over the actions and decisions of some, I still love and appreciate the country I live in. I believe you feel the same. For our nation, a prayer of blessing derived from Numbers 6:24-26 – “May the Lord
bless America, may His face shine upon her and be gracious to her. May He show His favor and give peace.”
By: Donna Clark
September 6, 2024
