As you watch the news, do you get the impression that the United States is slipping farther and farther away from God?
America was supposed to be a melting pot. People who come here are supposed to meld into the culture. Not only does that not always happen, but the culture has also changed over the years.
Our nation is not as close to God as we were when we were first founded. Even during the 50s we still had a fairly conservative Judeo-Christian approach to most aspects of life.
When I was a young teenager in the 70s, things really stared to shift. Many television programs that came on and were thought to be somewhat risqué are by today’s norm quite conservative. No one talked much about homosexuality. Drugs and sex started to run rampant in the 60s, but even in the 70s I did not know of many children born out of wedlock.
Today, we seem to be living in a period of time where there are little or no morals among the younger generations, and little or no shame to match. What once was thought of as taboo, is now commonplace. As a nation, we have left God behind.
Want to know what happened when Israel left God behind? All you have to do is take a look at the book of Judges in the Bible.
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
Judges 6:12-13
Every time Israel turned from God, they paid for it. In Judges they paid time and time again by being delivered into the hands of their enemies.
We do not see miracles in America like we could see. When we do see God move, He is too often not given the credit. When God punishes, we hesitate to acknowledge his chastening. Yet, we say He chastens His own. So, do we really believe it?
I realize that I am painting with a broad brush, but America as a nation seldom publicly acknowledges God. We seldom take a stand as a nation for what we know is right in the eyes of God. Yes, there are individual cases. If we were a Christian nation, we would not have to defend our Christian beliefs. We would not have to define things like marriage; it would be a given.
LIFE APPLICATION
Today’s challenge is to pray daily for revival. Pray for our nation to turn back to God. Remember, God did not move. We did. We moved little by little away from God, but revival will bring us full swing back to where we need to be.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14