If you pay any attention to the news, you’ll see that America (and really the world) is falling apart. It seems each day brings more and more sad and disheartening stories. Each day I see hundreds of postings on Facebook and other online locations saying “Pray for this city…” or “Pray for America”. And, while it is great to pray for our nation and our people, that’s not the real solution. It’s kind of like kneeling by someone who is bleeding from a wound in their arm, and right beside us is a first-aid kit with bandages and ointments, and we yell out to those around us, “I need something to stop this bleeding!”. The solution is right there – the bandages and the ointment are available we just have to reach out and pick them up….instead we keep looking for other solutions while the person lies there bleeding to death.
The Word of God plainly tells us “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.” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Note how the verse says “if my people”…not those people who are not believers in God…but Christians! We are the ones who must humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways! The source of our problem in America today is people who claim to know God and even those who do know Him, yet find no problem with living completely contrary to His Commandments.
That is the source of our problem. We have forgotten what it means to disobey God, and we look too lightly at our own actions while condemning the wrong actions of those who don’t even know Him. We’re not going to change America by trying to force those who don’t know God to live how we say they should live. We will only change America, by ourselves living the way GOD says WE should live! People say America needs to turn back to God. And that is quite true…but it is the Christians in America who need to turn back to God! Then, and ONLY then will God bless America! We don’t have to spend hours in prayer for God to bless America, when He has already told us EXACTLY what we must do if we want Him to bless us!
“Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!” (Psalm 119:1-3)