Election Day has arrived in the United States. Tonight I’ll eagerly await the election returns. As an inveterate political junkie and son of Cuban immigrants, I care about the outcome of the election and don’t take these freedoms for granted. The vote for president matters. Elections have consequences. Yet it’s also true that who occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue isn’t the most important concern in my life.

Beyond my concerns for the nation and the common good, I know that the Lord uses everything—including a down-to-the-wire presidential election—to tend to my heart. We need reminders on days like today that it’s easy to think in terms of “us versus them,” certain of the evil in others, while often overlooking our own biases and the ways our hearts stray. Listening to the noise, we might feel like we should brace for the worst or abandon hope entirely.

But Scripture gives us a more balanced picture. While every leader is flawed, as John Sloan reminds us, we can trust that God’s common grace remains at work. God restrains evil and fosters good—even in ways we might not expect. As believers, we know human depravity affects every corner of life, but we also know that, despite this brokenness, God continues to build his church regardless of who gets sworn in on January 20.

So, what will happen on this Election Day? Only God knows. But we can be certain that, by his grace, November 6 will dawn with new mercies. “By God’s grace,” Sloan writes, “we’ll still have plenty to laugh about, look forward to, and enjoy together. Even if suffering comes, God will surprise all people with kindnesses we don’t deserve. And in his sovereignty, God will use the victorious candidate to accomplish his divine purposes.”

And that is good news indeed.