It’s a presidential election year in America, and unless you live on Mars with Matt Damon, you have read, watched or heard about the many fascinating candidates running for the nation’s highest office. With the primaries upon us, things are about to get very lively.

There is no doubt that choosing the right person is more important now than ever. But whoever wins, it’s critical that we remember that we are electing a mere mortal to run the country. And mere mortals will disappoint us. There is only so much they can do on their own power.

Whenever a nation places its hope in a human being, it is setting itself up for a big let down. Even the best leaders have foibles. Churchill was fired as Prime Minister after helping save the world from Hitler. Reagan helped bring an end to the Cold War, but his administration had its share of scandals. Clinton revolutionized welfare, but some people forget about that in light of his personal shortcomings.

It’s true that a president can use his power to do good things. But he can also abuse his power and harm the very citizens who put him in office. This isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s as old as the Old Testament of the Bible.

During the time of the Judges in Israel, the last judge, Samuel, was approached by the elders. They came to him with this demand: “Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” 

Samuel was displeased with their request, so he asked God for guidance, and this is what God said: “Do everything they say to you, for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.” 

And what exactly did God warn them about? God said, “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.”

Whenever humans prefer to be ruled by a selfish, finite and imperfect human instead of a loving, infinite and perfect God, matters only get worse. Taxes go up, individual freedoms go down, rights get trampled. It’s not just human nature; it’s government nature, too.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not advocating that America become a theocracy. I am, however, offering a gentle reminder that the worries and woes of our nation and world will not and can never be solved by a man or woman. Psalm 146:3 tells us bluntly, “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.” Only God can do that.

So when you go to the polls, ask yourself, “Which of these candidates have made God their King,” and “Am I confident that he or she will lead us in humility under God’s kingship?”

If you want to see things get better rather than worse in America, elect the King in ’16.