Will God Do It Again?

When you read about the the people of Israel from the time they left Egypt until their final return from captivity, you have to wonder what on earth they were thinking when it came to their relationship with the Lord.  The people griped right from the get-go as they left Egypt.  They lost sight of who had performed great and mighty signs from Egypt to the promised land.

Then, as you recall, the Israelites finally settled in the land of “milk and honey” and again soon forgot all the great wonders Yahweh had performed in getting them there so that they could take over cities and homes they did not build and vineyards they did not plant. In response, the Lord sent armies to inflict punishment on them because of their desire to follow after and do detestable acts for gods made of wood and stone. Time and time again they cried to the Lord for help and he would send relief.  After Joshua died, the judges would rescue the people from their enemies, one after another.  As soon as a judge would die, the people would go right back to their gods of wood and stone.  Finally, they started down a new path where they rejected the Lord as their king and instead demanded an earthly king to fight their wars and take care of them. Some of these kings were god-fearing but most did evil, leading the people to follow after gods of wood and stone.

The United States was founded on Christian-Judaeo principles yet today the signers of the Declaration of Independence would have trouble recognizing many, if not most, of our practices and our lack of religious zeal, especially from our leaders and judges.  For most of those who still hold that Jehovah God, Father of Jesus Christ, exists, He at best plays second fiddle in their lives.  The “god” of most Americans exists in money, power, and pleasure.  These have become our “gods of wood and stone.”

I do not know if God "will do it again" and turn His back on us and allow the United States to fail.  I pray He does not.  I remember the story of Abraham when he was told that Sodom and Gomorra would not be destroyed if but ten righteous people could be found.  If God chooses to allow us to fail, I do not know if He will rescue us from the hands of the enemy.  However, I do know that He loves us and has provided everyone with a path to salvation through Jesus.  Only you and I can reject God’s offer of salvation by turning our backs and clinging to the “gods of wood and stone.”

The story is only the beginning for those who accept our Lord’s invitation to follow Jesus.  Regardless of what happens in this life, to this country, or to this world, God is in charge and will take care of his children.  When I think about the majesty and greatness of God, I cannot help but remember the words of the song “Father and Friend, Thy Light” penned by John Bowring.

Father and Friend, Thy Light, Thy Love,

  Beaming thro’ all Thy works we see;

Thy glory gilds the heav’ns above,

  And all the earth is full of Thee.

Thy voice we hear, Thy presence feel,

  While Thou, too pure for mortal sight,

Enwrapt in clouds, invisible,

  Reignest the Lord of light and life.

Thy children shall not faint nor fear,

  Sustained by this delightful tho’t;

Since Thou, their God, art ev’rywhere,

  They cannot be where Thou art not.

WOW! They cannot be where Thou art not!

Father, you are our great and wonderful King.  We approach you through your blessed son Jesus in whom we all have hope and redemption.  We beg you to not forsake our nation for the sake of the righteous.  We beg you to help us be your servants and bring the saving grace of Jesus to the lost and dying of our country so that we can be a light to the world. Please let not your Holy Spirit leave us. Let it be so.

Paul Schulze

Stephenville, Texas

Lord, My Desire Is To Be Like You…

What do you do at the end of the day?  You’re exhausted after dealing with your sick two and four year old.  You are five and ½ months pregnant.  You live 5,000 miles from the nearest family member and your husband is hunting black bear with his bow in the wilds of Alaska.  You are unsure of his return time….and it is the day before Mother’s Day!  Do you feel sorry for yourself and give into the bitterness and resentment that runs like an underground hot spring in the depths of your heart, letting it spew out like a geyser on those around you?  Or do you turn away from anger and give into the loving kindnesses and comfort of God’s Holy Spirit instead?

You may not have been in a circumstance like this, but I know that each one of us faces temptation every day of our lives.  As a mother of young children with another one on the way this is just one example of temptation I faced this week.  Sin desires us like a ravenous wolf crouching at the door.  Just as Cain had a choice to “do well and not let sin rule over him”, we too have that choice.

As a young adult working out my faith independently of my parents the temptations were far different than they are now, but the attack is still the same.  Satan seeks to distort the truth (John 8:44), entice me with my own desires (James 1:14-15), and ultimately lead me away to be devoured (1 Peter 5:8).  Generally the assault is now on my relationships; my marriage, my friendships, and with my children.

We see Satan’s three-fold attack illustrated in the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-8).  Satan first seeks to twist and distort the Word of God so that we will not believe or be saved.  Once someone has heard the good news and acted on their belief, he tempts them hoping they will fall away.  Finally when a person of faith shows a real commitment, Satan fashions a special strategy of distraction so that they won’t mature.  This is where he wants to keep us: distracted, ineffective, weighed down by the cares of this world...not bearing fruit.

We must be aware of Satan’s pursuit and act in that awareness.  Jesus warns us that temptation is necessary (Matthew 18:7) and we can easily play into Satan’s web of deceit if we act as if we are somehow impervious to temptation.  A wise man I know calls it, “putting on our spiritual make-up”.  So often we go through life unaware of the spiritual battle waging around us and come Sunday morning we put on our “spiritual make-up”, go to worship and act as if everything is just dandy.  One of two things is happening:  Either our senses have been dulled to a point where we are like the seed in the thorns, entangled in the web of this world and its desires, or we deceive ourselves and our Christian brothers and sisters into believing we have it all together.  Either choice is preventing us from having an honest and good heart that bears fruit with patience (Luke 8:15).

I thank God we have a Savior that is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, was tempted as we are and still without sin (Hebrews 4:15).  My prayer during times of temptation is summed up in the following praise hymn:

“Lord, my desire is to be like you.
Say the things you say…
Do the things you do…
Let me hear your still voice…
Through all the other noise…
So that I can be…
Just what you want me to be.”

Dana Jaworski
Anchor Point, AK