The days following the 2016 election were some of the hardest in the life of our church. Many of our congregants are immigrants from around the world, including Asia and Africa; some are undocumented. We are a minority-led, multicultural church in a low-income, disadvantaged community in East Austin, and though there is fear after any election, in this case, many of our members were afraid for their safety and security in this country.

As their church leaders, it was hard to even know what to say. We understood their pain and the best thing we could do was to sit with them in their hurt and confusion, read God’s Word, and pray together.

For days and weeks afterward, we asked God to protect them. We knew in the deepest part of our being that God was sovereign, that He knew the plight of our church family and would care for them, and that only He could pave a way for a more just system for all who live in this country.

This is the hard reality of every election. There will always be people put at risk because of new leadership. In fact, if we’re being honest, most of the time, the poor, the vulnerable, and the marginalized get caught in the crosshairs of politicking. I’m feeling the weight of this reality in this current election as well. Perhaps you are too.

I don’t know who is going to win the election today, but I am certain that some of us will witness the results with dread. I say this as someone who identifies as politically homeless. I’m not trying to dig on one candidate or the other. Whether our next commander in chief is a person from the right, the left, or the middle, their leadership will both positively and negatively impact certain demographics in our country.

There’s no doubt that we will have work to do in the days and months ahead. There will be situations that demand we actively love all our neighbors and raise our voices to speak up for those who can’t. But today, I’m choosing to take a deep breath and remind myself to trust in God.

Whoever the next president will be, it won’t be decided by chance. Theologian R.C. Sproul once said, “God doesn’t roll dice.” Not only does God know who will win the election, He is also sovereign over this next president as well. Daniel 2:21 reminds us that it is God who both removes and sets up kings. God can do this because He is the king of the universe, and today, like every day, He is seated on His throne. God, our one true leader, creates all things, directs all things, sustains all things, and works all things together for good.

On this Election Day, God is asking us to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). No matter if this day leaves you in smiles or tears, no matter if this day fills you with joy or with dread, God is still king on His throne. Our ultimate allegiance is to Him, and we can trust that He will sovereignly rule over our next president.

We don’t know what these next four years will hold. We don’t know how God will call us to love and stand up for our neighbors. We could exhaust ourselves thinking about that today. So, instead, let’s put our minds and hearts to rest, just for this day. Let’s slow ourselves down. Take a deep breath and choose to be still. God is sovereign. That truth alone can sustain us today.

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