Too Close to Call

No matter who may have been elected to sit in the seats of government in this year's election, or any election, we still know who sits on the ultimate throne. In the book of Daniel chapter 2, we find that Daniel had been asked to identify and interpret the dream of the king; we can find these words in that chapter:
20 Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.
23 "I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king's demand."

Ultimately, we serve the Creator of the universe, who is our great God and King. Political leaders may come and go, yet His truth continues to be the foundation for our lives.  That is not to minimize the importance of involvement in the political realm - He has given us the realm of politics so that we might be involved in the selection of leaders and allow our voices to be heard. We can continue to be used of Him to be a voice for His truth in our land.

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The morning after any election, there is a mix of encouragement and discouragement among the electorate - you may have seen your chosen candidates win yesterday, some may have lost; likely it's a mixed bag. Across the nation. The nation that, I contend, has not been forgotten by God. Psalm 33 states:
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
13 The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.
14 From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth;
15 He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.

After millions of Americans went to the polls yesterday - and before - to cast their ballots for a variety of candidates, the day began with several significant races still undecided.  But, when it's all said and done, we continue to entrust our nation and its future into the hands of Almighty God.  Our involvement in the political process is important, but ultimately, we are directed to be in prayer for our civic officials.

The Daily Briefing from Dallas Baptist University stated:

Your preferred leaders may or may have been elected to office last night but your God still reigns this morning. No elected leader is so bad that they can thwart God’s prosperous plans, and no elected leader is so good that they won’t need God’s gracious guidance. Unlike God, elected leaders will disappoint you. But Samuel Johnson was right: “How small, of all that human hearts endure, that part which laws or kings can cause or cure.” (Ps. 115:3)

It included this quote from the Washington Post: "After months of campaigning by hundreds of candidates, control of the House of Representatives remains unclear immediately after Election Day," adding, "Several dozen seats remain uncalled.”

The Real Clear Politics big board indicated early in the day that five states had races that were too close to call for the U.S. Senate: Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, and...of course, the race that so many have been keeping their eyes on - the Georgia Senate race between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker. 

Other hotly contested races in so-called "battleground" states resulted in John Fetterman defeating Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, and J.D. Vance over Tim Ryan in Ohio.  Closer to home, Katie Britt is on her way to the Senate from Alabama, and Marco Rubio retained his Senate seat in Florida.

Also, in Florida and Georgia, governors Ron DeSantis and Brian Kemp will return to their respective posts.  Kay Ivey was re-elected in Alabama.  Closely watched gubernatorial races include Gretchen Whitmer's return to the governor's office in Michigan. Greg Abbott returns to the governor's chair in Texas.  Kari Lake and Katie Hobbs in Arizona are neck-and-neck in a yet-uncalled race.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America touted the victories of pro-life Senate candidates Ted Budd in North Carolina, as well as Vance and Rubio.  It also pointed to wins by pro-life governors Kemp and DeSantis, as well as Kevin Stitt in Oklahoma. 

So, moving forward, we recognize that probably, the U.S. Senate will be close to a 50-50 split, but there will be a leadership change in the U.S. House.  I think that out of the remaining 4 states with Senate races undecided, you will see Kelly Tshibaka or Lisa Murkowski emerge in Alaska - they belong to the same party and lead in ranked-choice voting there. Mark Kelly likely beats Blake Masters in Arizona.  Adam Laxalt has a slight lead in Nevada.  So, that will result at that point in a 50-49 split. 

Which brings it back to Warnock and Walker. That race will be going to a runoff on Jan. 6, since the current tabulations show that neither candidate is over 50%.  

In a silver lining out of the state of California, there were two sports betting bills that were overwhelmingly defeated.  The Sacramento Bee reported:

California voters resolutely rejected dueling ballot measures that would have legalized sports betting on Tuesday, delivering a blow to both online gambling companies and fractured Native American tribes despite record spending on the initiatives. Campaigns for and against the measures raised more than $570 million, the most spent on any U.S. ballot measure issue. The enormous investment reflects the billions that stand to be reaped from the legalization of sports betting in California’s massive market.

The article added: 

Proposition 26 would have legalized in-person sports betting at tribal casinos and horse racing tracks and was voted down by 70.5% of voters in early results. A whopping 83.3% of voters rejected Proposition 27, which would have allowed sports gambling companies to operate mobile betting in partnership with a tribe.

The majority change in the House would be encouraging, because it would place a check on the forward movement on damaging policies, such as the Equality Act which would represent a furtherance of the LGBTQ agenda and moves to pass radical abortion legislation that would allow abortion at any point of pregnancy and overturn state pro-life laws - that goes way further than Roe v. Wade.  Committee work could place a challenge to executive actions that have been harmful for Americans, especially in the areas of abortion and sexuality.  

While a host of pro-life candidates were victorious last night, amendments to state constitutions did not break in a way that affirms life. According to reports, a Michigan amendment that placed a right to abortion in its state constitution passed, while a Kentucky amendment upholding a right to life failed.  California and Vermont also passed amendments authorizing abortion in those states.  Montana rejected a measure that protected infants who were "born alive" in the process of an abortion. 

There is so much at stake in our country, and there may be a temporary reprieve on the horizon from policies that violate Scripture and have resulted in the advance of a harmful agenda. It can be discouraging when candidates who do not reflect Biblical principles are placed into office. But, the Bible tells us not to be weary, and we can continue to trust in the Lord as our strength.

Christian believers have voted and made their voices heard, but the issues at hand have not gone away - that can certainly be discouraging, but we know we can continue to trust in a higher power. There is much that we can do between elections in order to speak out on Biblical principles, educate fellow Christians, advocate for good legislation and oppose bad bills, and perhaps get ready to run in the next cycle.