Skyrocketing inflation, political division, social unrest, and a relentless effort to wipe away the fundamental principles of our nation should have us concerned. The nation we knew just 40 years ago is gone. Debt, and unprecedented social and cultural change, are redefining our civilization as evil and oppressive. If one listens to the media, it is hard to find any redeeming national characteristics. Among the devastating changes, are the growing and unbearable living costs, and an anti-American “woke” sentimentality infiltrating our nation’s public schools and universities. We find ourselves divided with one group tolerating riots in the streets of major U.S. cities, and the emboldening of the nation’s greatest adversaries. We find the other group silent, seemingly accepting of the demise of our constitutional republic and Constitution. And through all of this, our youth are being placed upon the sacrificial alters of drugs and sexual immorality.
It is reasonable, then, to ask whether the world has been here before and what can be done to change this destructive trend. The answers to this question can only be found in our world’s history.
- God is based on real history – The Bible, God’s Word, is based on real events. God is Real.
- Faith in a Creator hangs on history – Our vision back in time is 20-20. As humans, we are blind to the future. It is the learnings of the past that faithfully points us forward.
- Others have been here before us – Those, successful or not, have clawed their way through this cosmic world and left many footprints. Only fools ignore them.
- Perfection eludes humanity – Past failures serve as a light forward. Those who ignore history are destined to repeat all of humanity’s failures. Considering our crazy world, many people must ignore history!
- We can see God in history – His face is visible in the providence of His blessings upon a nation. Yet, such wisdom rarely lasts beyond a single generation. Frightening, isn’t it?
- Common paths uphold our diversity – Divisiveness is evil at its best. Celebrating the convergence of diversity should lead us to life, liberty, and happiness. Anything that divides a nation, and pits one side against another, is destructive and to no good end. The goal is not to conquer or seek control, or even consensus. Our goal must be to seek God!
(Psalm 110:6)1NIV New International Version Translations – “He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.”
For over 400 years, God’s prophets tried and tried to warn the people to repent of their idolatry and immorality. The Prophet Jeremiah, for example, repeatedly urged the people of his day to repent and the people repeatedly rejected his message. Jeremiah’s words of warning can be directed at our nation: “Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 8:12). Eventually that nation fell to an outside invader.
How then do we change direction and seek our God again as a society?
(1 Chronicles 22:19) – “Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the Lord.”
The first step is to seek God again. Seek means to “attempt or desire to obtain or achieve (something). “ Seek is a verb, and in this context, it must be continual. The restorative nature of seeking God only comes when it is a conscious choice. It is direct, from the heart, and directed to God. The Apostle Paul states it well. “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5). This is truly a gift from God. It is history that tells of the glory of God. It is through the history of God’s Word that we can find Him.
The next step is to leap over the greatest obstacle to seeking the Lord and that would be pride. “In his pride, the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” (Psalm 10:4). Therefore, humility is essential to seeking the Lord. The good news is that God promises those who seek Him will find Him. “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.” (1 Chronicles 28:9). “And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6).
Think of pride as an invisible barrier separating you from God. It can blind the heart. That is a frightening thing since God, the very Creator of our universe, is the greatest reward a human can gain. Remember, a relationship with God is personal, it is restorative and regenerative, and with God, we have EVERYTHING! “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always” (Psalm 105:4). When a nation loses its mental and emotional effort to seek God, God is not lost, the people are lost! The heavens, our history, are shouting out the story of the Glory of God. God shows us His grace, free and undeserving grace, to us every day. To save a nation, any nation is to change its trajectory to one that will hit the bullseye. The people must SEEK GOD again.
Finally, seeking God is seeking Jesus Christ! When Israel’s prophets walked the earth, the nations all struggled to see God directly. All the nations had was God’s history. Today, we have more than the prophets could offer the people. Today we have a Savior, the Incarnate God, the Son, we have Jesus Christ. Our living Savior needs to be put back again into our families, our schools, our government, our society, and our nation. The best news of all is that Jesus’s work on the Cross erased our past sins of history. His hand, God’s hand is outstretched to us. Will we save our nation and reach for His hand?
Contemplations
- Are you content with our nation?
- Ideas to Explore: History tells us we are in for a disappointment. Do we believe it? Why is the status quo such comfortable for half of our nation? Is the idea first to admit there is a problem?
- Lostpine has just finished 18 weeks, presenting each of God’s prophets in the order of their advice to the nation of Israel. If you read some of them, what did you conclude?
- Ideas to Explore: God is patient, God has limits, sins of a nation will be punished, but God always leaves us with hope.
- What should our nation do?
- Ideas to Explore: Admit there is a problem (this is the first step in any recovery program). Do not blame someone else. Repent and seek God’s forgiveness. Do you have a better plan?
- Can our children survive in our nation without God?
- Ideas to Explore: Satan is after our youth. Destroy the faith of the next generation and you stop faith in God. Survival rests on our shoulders to save our youth.
- 1NIV New International Version Translations