Picking up the pieces

This morning in my first block class, I had to reassure a student that it will not likely be more dangerous for her to travel overseas in January, since Obama has been elected president. She is afraid that terrorist attacks may increase. Although I couldn't tell her that that won't happen, I did say that it's unlikely they will use that tactic again. Airline travel is generally safe. And although Bush has been quite vigilant to defend the nation against terror attacks, and Obama seems less concerned with this risk, I'm hopeful that no great shift in our immediate safety will occur.

But my students were concerned this morning.

So I reminded them that God is in control just as much today as He was yesterday. And since He is fundamentally a REDEEMING God, He can take any bad situation, or any bad person, and use them for His own ends. Thus, although it is our duty to vote for the candidate we feel is best for the nation, in the long run God can just as readily use one president as another to accomplish His desires for this country. Having Obama in the White House is no obstacle to God.

Will I pray for Obama? Yes. I'll pray that he is heavily convicted for his sin of supporting the murder of babies, and encouraging their mothers to be their murderers. I'll pray that any initiatives he wishes to enact that would harm our country, will fail. I'll pray that the faith he claims to hold will become powerful in his heart, and convince him to rule in a way that is honoring to God. I'll pray that the racism he's sometimes expressed against white people will not be evident in him, while he's in office. And if he continues in his bad policies, I'll pray very sincerely that he is not elected again.

God can use any president for His ends, but the process can be more painful, or less, for the country, depending on who is in the Oval Office. If God uses a wicked man to oppress and convict the nation, we will all feel the pain of that conviction. It's very possible this is what God has in store for us.

And is that grace? Yes.