Friday, February 19, 2021
by Dr. Paul Chappell
Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger? Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them:
Deuteronomy 29:24-26
Though God does not have the same kind of covenant relationship with our nation or any modern nation that He had with Israel, it is still true that He judges nations for their conduct. Nations which at least attempt to follow the principles of righteousness and justice will be rewarded. But those nations which condemn good and promote evil can expect to receive His hand of judgment. David wrote, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17).
History is littered with the wreckage of once great empires that exercised power and authority over vast stretches of land and huge numbers of people. One by one, they rose to positions of prominence and influence. Yet today only the ruins remain to show where the events recorded in the history books took place. The nations themselves no longer exist, or are merely a shell of what they once were. No country is exempt from God’s judgment on their national conduct and character.
There are many who are concerned about the direction their country is taking. The real solution to the problem of a godless nation is not found in the seat of government power. Electing new leaders or passing new laws cannnot transform the hearts of people to do right. The only solution is found in the power of the Gospel to change a nation one person at a time. We must live righteously ourselves, and we must share the good news with those around us—that is the best thing we can do for our country.
Today’s Growth Principle:
The process of making any nation more righteous starts in the hearts and lives of its Christian citizens.
