When I’m feeling down it always makes me feel better when I write, whether I’m writing a song or writing down thoughts that are for no one to see except God or writing something like I’m writing now. What I write now is specifically for Christians, but for as many people as will read it. It’s hard to even know where to begin. I just pray God will use me.
Our Country stood at a crossroad before the election. Now, the people have been heard and the path has been set as to what man will lead this Country for, at least, the next four years. I am, as I know many others are, struggling with the decision of the majority of the USA. It is hard for me to look back on my short life of 26 years and think that it has come this far from what it was when I was a young child. (When I was two, Reagan won in a landslide claiming every state but one.) I had prayed for this election and for this Country long and hard in the weeks leading up to it. The past few months I have rested on a verse that my pastor used in a sermon in July. – “If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.” (Jeremiah 18:7&8) I prayed that this would be our Nation, that we would start showing signs of “turning from our evil” by refusing to elect an evil man into our highest office. In Malachi God says, “Return to Me and I will return to you.” (3:7) God is never-changing and He is the same today as He was then.
Now that our Country has made its decision, there are many worries among believers. I have seen anger, fear and sadness. I understand this because I too have felt them, but what we must all do is turn to God’s Word for direction in these times because “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:29) The afternoon of the election I was listening to my music as I drove down the road and the song Heaven In The Real World, by my favorite singer/songwriter, Steven Curtis Chapman, came on. Before the song begins you hear the voice of Chuck Colson and this is what he says: "Where is the hope? I meet millions who tell me that they feel demoralized by the decay around us. Where is the hope? The hope that each of us have is not in who governs us, or what laws are passed, or what great things that we do as a nation. Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people, and that’s where our hope is in this country; that’s where our hope is in life." These words have been running through my head the past few days. There are many people asking, “Where is the hope?” Dear Christian sibling, we have the Hope living inside us! Our hope is “not in who governs us!” We can have hope in the fact that nothing can separate us from God or his love! (Rom. 8:38&39)
Once we realize that we do have a Hope we must ask the question of Him, “What would you have me do in these times?” He has put us here because we have a job to do; He has put us here “for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14) When I finally realized and grasped this concept, my sinful anger turned into a Holy anger, my fear turned to boldness and my sadness to determination. It’s time to get busy dear ones. We are to keep busy before His return, for “we know not the time or the hour” and we don’t want Him to find us idle. (Read Mark 13) God gives each of us work to do and He expects us to faithfully go about the duties we have. He has given us all different duties, but some duties He gave to us all. We cannot fail Him now. We must be in constant prayer; we must all turn into prayer warriors. (Thes. 5:17) We must listen to the voice of God and follow it and no other. We must come together as believers and put our differences aside and work on the same team for the same Coach. We MUST tell others about the hope that we have! It’s time to get over our insecurities and whatever fears we have and tell others the good news. This is our job as Christians. We do not know what tomorrow brings, but we should stand in the security that our God knows and holds the future. We must stay true to this Country that God has put us in. It was founded on Biblical principles and it is our job, as believers, to preserve those truths. To love your Country and the principles that it was founded on does not, by any means, mean that you are ok with the way things are going. But if we are not ok with it, then just talking about it will do no good. We must act!
Revival has come about in this Country in some pretty low times because there were Christians that stood up to the sin and evil around them. Revival does not happen overnight though, and it doesn’t even begin with revival in the Nation; it starts with revival in individual hearts of believers. “Those who know your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:10) We must put God first in our lives, before anything else. This is the first step that we, as individuals, must take to begin revival in our own hearts and homes. This is one of the main problems in the life of Christians today. There are too many “Sunday Christians” and not enough sold out Christians. Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Matt. 12:30) It’s only when revival takes place in hearts of believers that we can move out and stir up revival in our Nation.
We need to remember that whatever happens, we will be ok, because our God is THE God. For those of you that feel afraid of what is to come just remember that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7) We shouldn’t be afraid of the end anyway, because there IS no end for God’s children! We should want the same security for others as well. We have to share the greatest Truth of all with all. We must. “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev.22:17) This is the time. This is the place. This is OUR time. I hope you join me in the steps of revival in your own hearts and homes and then in taking that revival out into the world. The end draws near brother and sister. Let’s not disappoint God in our lack of action. There is a Hope and His name is Jesus, our Bridegroom, Christ, The Good Shepherd, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Savior. Let’s stand together and share this Hope with the Nation and the World!
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Tim. 2:1&2)
