The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that all of nature trends toward disorder and chaos unless acted upon by an outside intelligent source. Civilization also trends toward chaos without being steered by intelligent leadership. As we have already covered, Scripture reveals that such leadership is the result of the favor of God for the nations that seek Him. A vacuum of such leadership is the result of a nation departing from Him, failing to continue to walk in His ways.
In Revelation 3:20, we see Jesus standing at the door of His own church knocking to see if anyone will open to Him. This implies that in this age The Lord will not go where He is not invited, and will not stay where He is not wanted. He also promises prosperity and a hedge of protection around those who seek Him, but those who do not are like cities without walls, which at that time meant open to continual plunder and attacks.
After a long history of seeking God, honoring Him, and seeking to walk in His ways, in the 1960s America began to basically ask The Lord to leave our country. We allowed those who intentionally and systematically sought to remove even the mention of Him, or the evidence of Him, from both our history and the public square. From that time, we have experienced increasing internal discord, troubles, and cascading crises, and we are now on the verge of another civil war.
All human and environmental discord can be traced to the fall in the Garden of Eden where man basically decided that he wanted to run the world without God. The answer to every human problem is to humble ourselves, repent of this same basic pride, and admit that we need Him.
We can point to much of the increasing turmoil of our times as the result of a vacuum of leadership. Evil people with evil intent have been allowed to go unchallenged in forcing their agendas. This has happened before in our history, and America has usually turned back to God and appealed to Him for His wisdom and leadership. He would answer by raising up wise, decisive leadership to steer us through the crisis.
There have also been times when there was a turning from God, the troubles would come pouring in, and we delayed our repentance thinking we were wise enough to resolve such problems on our own. These have been costly scars on our history.
In some ways America’s history parallels that of ancient Israel, which seemed locked into a continuous cycle. These cycles began with a great champion having an encounter with God, and then leading His people to seek Him and walk in His ways. Great favor came on the nation for as long as they did this, but in time they would begin drifting from Him. Troubles would increase until they ultimately were subdued by hostile neighbors and enslaved. Then they would repent and call on The Lord. He would send a champion to deliver them, and they would again walk in the favor of God for a time. Then they would drift from Him and the cycle would begin again.
Even though America has a much shorter history than ancient Israel, we see the same trend in our story. As Scripture declares, the favor of God for the nations that seek Him begins with wise and just leaders. The consequences of turning from Him begin with immature, foolish, and capricious leaders. Complaining about our leaders is not the answer to getting better ones. To seek The Lord and walk in His ways is the only thing that will lead to a true remedy.
The present vacuum of leadership in America is not just political, but it is in every sphere of power and influence—the most serious is in the church. This is not to say that we do not have some great leaders in the church, and some great churches in the country, but there is no transcendent voice at this time. Studies have revealed that there has also been a meltdown of character among even the most zealous Christian churches and movements, with many of the rest falling into what God Himself called “wickedness.” Could it be that the darkness that is taking over the country is not the fault of the heathen, but of the church?
This is happening on our watch. If darkness is increasing, then the light we are called to be must be fading. If corruption is increasing, then the salt must have lost its savor. Is this not why The Lord said in II Chronicles 7:14: “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, will forgive their sin and will heal their land”?
He doesn’t say if the heathens would do this, but if His people would do it He will heal our land. The heathens do not know any better than to do what they’re doing. It’s the meltdown in biblical morality and character in Christians that is the cause of the increasing crises in our land. The increasing darkness is because our light has waned.
Have we not become like Jonah? When those who are called to be God’s spokesmen run from God and/or fall asleep, they are the cause of the storm that is threatening the ship. The heathen actually had to wake up the prophet and beg him to call on his God. Is this not, in a sense, what is now happening in America?
The good news is that there are just four simple things that we need to do to save our country:
- Humble ourselves. In Scripture, we are told many times to humble ourselves, but there is not a single Scripture that exhorts us to humble anyone else. We can complain about our leaders all we want, but God is looking at us.
- Pray. This is not the last resort, but the first. Are we praying for our leaders as we are commanded to do? Perhaps they would be better leaders if God’s people were praying for them. We should especially be praying for those we may be the most disgusted with.
- Seek His face. Do we really know Him, or are we like the men of Athens who were worshiping an “unknown God”? There are two primary ways that we recognize others—by their voices and by their faces. Do we really know Him?
- Turn from our wicked ways. We are told that judgment begins with the household of God (see I Peter 4:17). Are we doing those things which we are told will be the reason why The Lord will bring judgment on the world?
The encouragement is that if God’s people will do these four simple things, He will heal our land. Jesus proved His love for us by laying down His life for us. We, too, prove our love by laying down our lives for others, and our country needs for us to do this now.
The problem is not to find the answer; it’s to face the answer. –Terence McKenna
It is never too late to be what you might have been. –George Eliot (attributed)
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© 2020 by Rick Joyner. All rights reserved.
