God's man for God's time

“Wisdom and power belong to Him. And it is He who changes the times and the epochs. He removes kings and establishes kings.”( Daniel 2:20-21) One of the ways in which God’s hand of Providence is seen, is in His removing and establishing of leaders. Roman 13:1 states that all authority is established by God. God has been placing people in office, and removing others for millenniums. Just prior to the Civil war, America had been plagued with poor Presidential leadership. Men like Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, and Buchanan, had done very little to keep our country from being ripped apart by the events of the 1850s. James Buchanan for instance, had decided to do nothing when he was informed that several of the southern states had left the Union. He said that he would just let the new President deal with the matter. During the crucial time of our country dividing into two parts, God raised up a man named Abraham Lincoln to bring the country back together. Lincoln was known for his honesty and strong character. He was a great student of the Bible, and often quoted God’s word in his speeches. Perhaps his most famous quote from the Bible was during the debates with Stephen Douglas; “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” (Mark 3:25) Abraham Lincoln often stated that he prayed for God’s guidance during the war, and felt that God answered his prayers. Not only did God use Lincoln to preserve the Union, but he also ended slavery. When the North won the Civil war, it marked the end of the wicked practice of one group of people owning another, just because of their color of skin. Abraham Lincoln was not perfect, and there are many who question many of his actions. However, no one can argue that he turned out to be God’s man for doing the will of God in God’s time. Today, we must keep in mind that even if we do not agree with the authority that God has given us, we still need to respect and submit to that authority as unto God.