Pastor Bo: With God we are promised security for uncertain times

The night of the assassination attempt on President Trump, I tweeted my prediction that President Biden would be out of office fairly quickly. A week later, on Sunday afternoon, he made a statement that he was withdrawing from the presidential race. Mind you, in biblical terms, I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but it seemed pretty clear to me that things were about to change dramatically.

I got the time slightly wrong; I estimated 48 hours, but it was a week. I missed the details slightly; he didn’t resign, but he did withdraw from the race. And if you want my not-quite-prophetic prediction of what’s going to happen next, here it is:

I have no idea.

My gut feeling is that the Democratic Party is going to rally behind Vice President Harris pretty quickly; I don’t see any way they could do otherwise without risking accusations of racism if they chose someone like Hillary Clinton over her, or sexism if they chose someone like Gavin Newsom. But it could also potentially be Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, or a popular singer or actor or businessman or an unknown guy from Des Moines. There hasn’t been a situation like this since I was around, in 1952, to be exact.

Also interesting is the way President Biden is retracting: he is doing so indirectly through social media, rather than in person. That kind of thing is like adding fuel to the fire of conspiracy theorists’ wildest dreams.

And then in the background there are the legal issues that still surround President Trump. The right sees these issues as a partisan witch hunt that will be set aside, while the left hopes that this will be the final nail in his political coffin.

Just a day in America.

So how are you doing through all of this? Are you struggling with your blood pressure medication? Are you reaching for something to help you get some sleep each night? Are you, as I heard one preacher put it, nervous enough to thread a sewing machine while it’s still running? It’s pretty easy to get anxious when things are so uncertain around us; I know that. But I’ve learned over the years that God has given us some truths to lean on, things that he’s written in his Word for such a time as this.

First of all, if you have repented of your sins, accepted Christ, and been born again into the family of God, you are not at home; you are going home. Hebrews 11:13-14 portrays us as pilgrims on earth, on our way to another land. Earth is pretty good; heaven is much better, and it is forever.

While we are here, there is also the assurance that God knows how to mix all the ingredients just right. Romans 8:28 tells us that all things work together for good to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose. It didn’t say all is good; it said all things, good and bad, work together for good. It is not good that President Trump was almost assassinated. It is not good that President Biden feels too weak to carry on, something we will all experience at some point. It is not good that there is such a swirl and uncertainty about what is happening right now. There is a lot of “not good” in our country right now. But for His people, God can and will take those things and make them work together for good.

We can also trust that while God has given man absolute free will, a free will that he so often uses for great evil, none of it will stop God from accomplishing His purposes. Acts 15:18 puts it this way: “God has known all the works of God from the beginning of the world.” We wring our hands in concern; God waves His hand in omniscience.

We can also have the confidence that when we prioritize God’s kingdom, the God who knows our needs will meet those needs. Jesus put it this way in Matthew 6:31-33: “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we be clothed?’ (for the Gentiles seek after all these things.) For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Finally, we can be excited about the prospects that all this uncertainty prevents. People who are often not interested in hearing about God in good times are more than willing to hear about Him in times of need. The criminal who wanted nothing to do with Christ was more than willing to cry out to Him as he hung beside Him on Calvary. As things become more uncertain, the opportunities to pick up your Bible and show someone how to be saved become easier and easier. So don’t waste these days of prime evangelism opportunity.

I pray for the continued safety of President Trump and for President Biden as he steps aside. I pray that our country will put aside hate and come together. And while I may not know you, I pray for you as I write this, reader. I pray that you will know the Lord and that you will walk in the confidence that He has everything under control.

Should we wear our seat belts? Sure. But we should also enjoy the ride with confidence.

Bo Wagner is the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Mooresboro, North Carolina, a widely traveled evangelist, and the author of several books available on Amazon and at wordofhis mouth.com. Email him at [email protected].