God Help America

 

As our family was getting ready to go to the local 4th of July parade, my eight year old granddaughter was preparing a bag to collect the candy that would be thrown her way.

From the Sermon

She wrote on the bag, “God Help America,” and pointed out to me that it was deliberate. In his sermon on Sunday, our Pastor made the point that for us to ask God to bless America without first repenting for the way we have turned from Him and His Word, is wrong.

We talked after the sermon about whether or not we should be celebrating the 4^th of July. We concluded that what we can celebrate is the heritage of godly men and women who sacrificed a lot in their own lives to leave us a nation that was blessed by God because of the faith on which it was founded.

The Parade

As I sat and watched the parade, I was, as usual, taken in by the nostalgia of it all. Red, white and blue surrounded us.  Families gathered to watch, eat, and applaud as the parade went by.

Then, I looked at what was being applauded:

Politicians in a government that supports abortion, ungodly taxation that supports ungodly functions, and homosexual marriage.  All things that defy God’s Word.

Boy Scouts, public schools, and the Masonic Lodge. All have turned from God.

Yet, we celebrate and applaud as they parade down the street.

The Word of God

Throughout history the scriptures report of nations that did not honor God and apply His Word and, in turn, faced His wrath. He is a jealous God and we have replaced Him with so many idols that we cannot be surprised by any judgment God sends on us. From presidential candidates to viruses and economic crisis, we deserve what He gives.

The good news is that He offers forgiveness to those who repent and turn from sin. Not for an hour while we watch a parade and lament what we used to have, but as we move forward and put Him in the place of those idols that we have allowed to take over our nation (things like our own comfort and convenience as we kill babies we think will hold us back in some way). He will see what we are doing and hear as we pray for mercy

In 2 Chronicles 7:13-14, God said to Israel, “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people,  if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Locust, rain, and pestilence for Israel is being replaced by anything God chooses to use to get our attention today.

Will the church (you and I) repent for applauding the sin all around us?

Are we willing to pray, as my granddaughter clearly heard, for God to help this nation, so that we have reason to pray for Him to bless this nation?

 

(And, by the way, if you think your eight year old is too young to get anything from a sermon – think again.)