11/21/2021
If our nation will once again return to God in a bold and powerful way, remorseful, repentant, and professing our love for Him, then He will circumcise our hearts so that we will be able to not only love him minimally, but with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength… even to our children. He does this so that we can love Him as His greatest commandment spoke of, and so that we might have eternal life.
“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”
Deuteronomy 30:6 ESV
God doesn’t want a handshake relationship with us, nor for us to say we love Him, but to do so without the intensity we are capable of. If we lose that deep and abiding love for Him as individuals He deals with us individually, but if we ignore His call, or stray from Him as a nation, then we will feel His wrath en masse. We will hear His judgement as a people, or country.
“All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”
Isaiah 66:2 ESV
Sometimes we neglect the habit of praying, asking for forgiveness, going to church, reading scripture, praising God, or other spiritual things, and when we are remiss in this way then our faith begins to fade. This wooing of the world, and subtle shift in who we are spiritually becoming, can happen without our realizing it; we excuse one neglect after another until we finally wake up to find that we are living out our lives without thinking once of Jesus, or God. This can happen in each of us if we are not diligent in our faithfulness, and it can happen to nations as well… in either case we have separated ourselves from the Lord, and there is a loss of relationship.
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness.”
Isaiah 59:1-3 ESV
Oh, we might profess to be believers, or perhaps try to placate ourselves by claiming to be non-practicing Christians, implying that at any moment we might suddenly start practicing again, but there is no such thing. We can’t follow Jesus unless we obey His commandments, and love Him. Likewise, how can we say we are of God if we live sinfully in the world, and can’t love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength… or without reservation? Some of us quote verses from Romans 8, and say we can’t be separated from God, but that is untrue… what we can’t be separated from is God’s love.
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39 ESV
God loves us despite of who we have become, but that does not mean that He likes it, or will tolerate it. Whether we fall away from Him as a person, or a nation, God will not let our behavior go unchallenged, or unpunished.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.”
Romans 1:18-19 ESV
God’s wrath against the ungodliness of men is not out of hatred, but love… incredible, and undeserving love. We call it grace because we have not earned such mercy. What did we do to deserve the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus? What can we do today that warrants our forgiveness? Yet the Lord beckons us to return to Him, and He extends the blood of Christ to us again, and again, and again. Isaiah said it…
““Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
Isaiah 55:6-7 ESV
And Jesus said it…
“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”
James 5:19-20 ESV
And this applies to nations as well, and He does this completely… intending to heal us for eternity.
“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. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.”
2 Chronicles 7:14-16 ESV
Are we maintaining our faith as an individual? What about as a country? Are we seeking the prayers of others to help us strengthen our personal belief, and are we praying for the faiths of those around us? How about our prayers for the country we live in, and those who rule over it? Are we praying for them too so that we might live in peace?
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your love, grace, and mercy, as you forgive us individually, and together as nations and people. Help us Father to be diligent in our prayers, and to love you with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Hear us all the day long as we pray for ourselves, our families, those around us, and our nations. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who never ceases to love us despite our failures in faith, and loving you. Praised be your name for every display of your grace, and act of mercy Lord. Great is your ability to forgive, and perfect your promise to do so if we will only repent, and return to loving you. Wash us clean in the blood of Jesus Father, and cleanse us of every sin. Return us to a full and righteous relationship with you Lord as we seek you individually and as a people. Call us worthy. Call us your children, and call us your people.
“Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving, and the voices of those who celebrate. I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will make them honored, and they shall not be small. Their children shall be as they were of old, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all who oppress them. Their prince shall be one of themselves; their ruler shall come out from their midst; I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me, for who would dare of himself to approach me? declares the Lord. And you shall be my people, and I will be your God.””
Jeremiah 30:19-22 ESV
Rich Forbes