Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – July 4, 2016
They soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel…They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. So he said he would destroy them—had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them…They grumbled…and did not obey the Lord. Psalm 106:13, 21-23, 25
How can the lost soul of our nation be saved? We can start by remembering God. Remember God created an opportunity to relocate a God-fearing people to America. Remember the birth of our republic was an experiment dependent on the moral authority of its people and its government. Remember it’s God who makes men great and nations greater. Remember God is holy and He expects holiness. Our angry and violent country needs soul healing to regain its clear moral compass, its inner peace of mind and its respected influence around the world. The seeds of a self-reliant society have grown into a forest of unfaithfulness. God is forgotten and no longer feared. Our pride, ego and affluence has blinded us to the need for God’s humility, love and forgiveness. Our nation’s lost soul can only be saved by remembering, repenting, obeying.
Psalm 106 gives us an abridged version of God’s people and their journey from Egyptian bondage to God’s blessings of freedom. The Lord escorted them out by His miraculous works, as an exclamation mark of His faithfulness to His people. But they soon forgot. They forgot His holiness—they ceased to fear and obey Him. They forgot His love—they began to love the things of the world. They forgot to worship Him—they worshipped idols of self-indulgence. Forgetfulness to have faith in God is a formula for a nation to lose its soul’s identity. Just as Moses stood in the gap for the Lord’s people, so Christ is the sole salvation for our nation’s soul.
“Now these things occurred (Israel’s disobedient acts) as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did” (1 Corinthians 10:6).
Before you stand up for what’s right, kneel down in desperation and dependence on God. A humble nation is made up of people and politicians who pray with broken hearted confessions, who worship Almighty God out of reverence and gratitude, and who serve others unselfishly. Begin by reminding yourself, your family and your co-workers of God’s trustworthy track record of answered prayer and generous provision. Your legacy for the Lord will bear fruit beyond your life, so plant orchards of obedient lives and trust the Lord will draw Americans back to Himself.
Perhaps the Holy Spirit is pricking your heart to engage more responsibly in civic affairs. Who are your state legislators? How can you use your influence to raise the moral quality of life in your community? Perhaps you serve in public office for a season, so others can see an example of a true servant of Jesus: someone who puts the needs of their constituents above themselves. Be a person who is not afraid of faith, but embraces the idea of convening charities to make society much better. Who, if not you? Why later, when now is all you have for sure? Our nation’s soul will be saved when we return home from the far country of forgetfulness of faith in God.
“For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them” (Isaiah 58:2).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, as a nation we acknowledge our dependence on You, we repent of forgetting You and we ask You to lead us in Your ways.Application
How does the Lord want to me to engage in praying for my government officials?Related Reading
Isaiah 29:13; Ezekiel 33:31; Titus 1:6; James 4:8; 1 John 2:4Post/Tweet today
Before you stand up for what’s right, kneel down in desperation and dependence on God. #WisdomHunters #nationneedsGodWorship Resource
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“I wait quietly before God, for my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.” Psalm 62:1-2