Today's devotional moved me. I didn't think it did at first but as I began to process it and think about it and pray over it, I began to feel a burden for our nation. I also began to relate this in my own life. I will retype the devotional below for you all to read. (I hope this is ok)
Isaiah 31:1
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord.
In Dueteronomy 17, the Lord told Israel that a time would come when their would enter the promised land and have a king rule over them. God told them that the king was not to accumulate horses, wives, or gold. Most of Israel's kings violated all three of God's directives.
The problem accumulating those things was that the kings or the nation itself would begin to depend on horses (military might), wives (alliances with other nations through marriage), and gold (economic power) rather then God. The bible declares that every great person and every great nation must trust in God more than anything or anyone else if they are to stand. Asa a nation, we stood alone at one time honoring God as the creator and the king who ruled over nations. We even printed "In God we trust" on our money. God blessed us. We were given victory in war. Our economy was the envy of the world. God gave us leadership among the nations of the earth.
But now we have removed prayer from our schools, the Ten Commandments from our courthouses, and at times we give more courtesy to false religions than to Christ himself. We have come to trust in military might, political correctness, the American dollar, and stranger alliances with those who hate the name of JESUS. our economy is crumbling. We fight in wars that have no victory. Our influence on earth is diminishing. Woe to those who do not look to the Holy One of Israel or seek his help. Pray for our nation that we might look to God again and remember that what is true for nations is true for individuals as well. If we trust in our power, our wealth, or our alliances with the world, then we too will crumble and our plans will fail.
Father, will you exalt your name and the name of Jesus in the land again and draw us back to a place of trusting you as a nation. May you exalt your name and your Son in my heart as well. Amen.
-Written by a member at MidCities Community Church
Over the last couple of days I have learned that I must at all times be tuned into the Lord and his strive to hear his voice. I have to silence my "self" in order to hear him clearly. I cannot be lead by emotions, though, emotions spark awareness. I have made some spontaneous decisions that have confused those around me and even myself. I am learning and I am figuring this out. If God does not stay above me and my "power, wealth and alliances" then I am crumbling and my plans are failing. I do not want to fail at this I want to succeed. With out God this cannot work and cannot happen. I have tried for too long to control this adoption but now I am really laying it down at the Lords feet. The desire to adopt came from Him and it is His. He is the one who will guide my next steps. My prayer is that God will show us which path to take right now, He will give us peace about the decision we are making and he will give those who are working with us peace. This whole process is foreign and scary but Phillip and I are learning along the way.
I'm moved by your writing and by how honest and thought provoking you are. . . I'm in prayer for you and your adoption process and I'm standing in faith with you through this.
ReplyDeleteI love you my sweet friend.
Holly