In the beginning, Israel’s call to worship was “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” In the beginning the United States could be heard saying, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth, and Jesus Christ his only begotten Son…”
Near the time of the Babylonian exile, Israel changed from worshipping God Almighty, to worshipping idols by casting their children in the arms of a metal idol under which a fire had been built to make the metal red hot. They could be heard saying, “receive this sacrifice O Baal and give us rain”.
“But,” you might say to me, “that was long ago, when people believed in idols. How can you say we’re like that? Surely we are a more advanced and less barbaric civilization than they were!”
Oh. But. Are we?
What is the United States doing, but sacrificing its children on the altar of convenience? It’s not as barbaric as when the people sacrificed their children on the altar of Baal, hearing the poor innocents scream in pain when thrown into a raging fire…or is it? I wonder. We’re so clean and so methodical; but if we could hear the children in the womb screaming in pain…. And what of the poor young women who have been convinced that it’s okay and then find that they have to live with the silent screams in their own minds?
And what of the many children who are outside the womb that are being abandoned and abused? A couple of years ago, I heard that near Killeen Texas, a man had dumped a four year old out of his car on the highway at night. What?
We are in danger of judgment, and though it’s not where I was intending to go, it’s the truth. We need to turn back to God the Father and remember this is a country that was founded on His principles. The murder of the innocence will not go unpunished.
I don’t know what the future holds for these United States, but I know if we don’t turn back to the Lord, we will have to answer for our sins. Yes, I used the archaic word, “sin”. It may sound like something from some wild revival service way back win, but it’s as relevant today as when Cain murdered Abel in the fields alone and Abel’s blood cried out to God as it oozed from Abel’s body. Sin was with us then, sin is with us now; but there is hope. Jesus is the One who paid for our punishment so we don’t have to.
For those who are do not belong to Jesus, today is the day to hear his voice and let him take over your life. The road won’t be easy, but the Lord promises to help us.
For those who do belong to Jesus, the time is now to start living like we believe what we say. Pray without ceasing, pray for those in our homes. Pray for those who are our neighbors, pray for our government officials. Yes, even those we despise. And these prayers are not, “Give ‘em what they deserve, Lord.” But, “Please give them wisdom to do what you call them to do.”
We must stand in the gap for our country. If we don’t, who will? And if God cannot find someone to stand in the gap….