Tomorrow is Election Day.

People are afraid.

Fear is circulating like autumn leaves trapped in the outside corner of a brick building.

Both candidates, both parties, both nonbelievers and believers are trying to harness the power of fear to manipulate and influence, to persuade and motivate and to coerce and bully.

If he is elected, then these terrible things will happen. It will be like Germany.

If she is elected, then we will no longer be safe in our own homes. It will be lawlessness.

I have heard/read both of the above statements.

I have turned off news channels and quickly scrolled past political posts. Commercials, campaign ads, and conversations, both direct and overheard, spur on the fear. Then there are the text messages, mailings, and more that continually bombard our brains.

It is easy to let the fear seep into our souls, rob of us our sleep and steal our sense of security.

As believers, let’s not approach tomorrow’s outcome from a place of fear like those who have no hope.

I could list many scriptures touting God’s omni-s. He is omnipresence (being everywhere in time and in space). He is omniscience (knowing all things). He is omnipotence (having all power). We should trust in what we know of His character and rest easy.

Yet, He gives us more than these facts about Himself. He gives specific truths where He has in the past, continues in the present and promises in the future to dictate dictators and delegate despots. His hand directs the rulings of rulers. He decides who leads where and for how long. We should trust in what we know in His word and have hope.

Hope.

I am not sure that hope is the opposite of fear, but I know I’d rather face the future in hope and not fear.

Last week, I came across this verse and I began praying it over the election:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” ~ Romans 15:13

With every ad, audio soundbite, and accusation that seeks to evoke fear, I am praying for our “God of hope to fill” every believer “with ALL joy and peace as” we “TRUST in him.” Why? “so that” we “may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

If we are “overflowing” there is no room for fear. AND, even better, it is not accomplished by us – but by the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. The Holy Spirit will not be thwarted and He will do it. We, who have Him within us, can approach the uncertainty of tomorrow with “ALL joy and peace.”

I know that there are some aspects of tomorrow that I am wishing for, but that is different than what I am hoping in. My hope is not in a political party or position. My hope is not based on a candidate or margin of victory. As a result, I do not fear an outcome, nor will I cast my vote out of fear. I will face tomorrow with faith.

This faith is God-given, I cannot muster it up on my own. I cannot boast of it; it is a gift. As the author of Hebrews says “Faith is an assurance of what we hope for and a certainty of what we cannot see.” As a result, my hope for the future is found where my faith lies. And I am assured of this by the truth of God’s character and His word.

My faith is not in my country, my government, or my president. There are bigger forces at play and my side has already won – no matter what any exit poll may say.

If someone says any vote is for or against God’s planned winner – then that person has already given in to their fears and needs to question where their hope lies.

My prayer is that God would forgive me for my lack of faith in Him when I start to fear. He is the One who holds all of this together, the One who makes sense of it all, and the One who still reigns no matter who sits in the Oval Office.

As a believer, I do not have a spirit of bondage to fear, but of the Spirit (Romans 8:15). When fear increases, I must confess it and ask for Him to help my unbelief. Just like the father who asked Jesus to heal his child and in return was asked by Jesus if he believed, I will respond as he did. He transparently said, “I do, help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). This is a prayer God will always answer with a resounding “YES!” as many times as I pray it.

Whether I am wrestling with matters of the country’s future or responding to more personal insecurities and uncertainties I know He will meet me where I am. He is my source of hope. He will help my unbelief. He will supply the faith I lack.

As the results roll in and our country reacts to whatever the outcome – known or unknown, I refuse to fear. I choose to hope. I rest in faith. I rest in Him.