Today’s reading is 2 Chronicles 5-7, Psalm 121, and 1 Timothy 4.
The year 2024 is an election year…in case you haven’t noticed. This brings much angst about what the future of our country will look like because 4 years seems like a long time until the next one, and it’s not just the presidency that matters, but also the House and Senate and other state and local elected officials. While I’ve written other posts in the past on this topic and about the fact that the true leader and king and one who is really in control never served a public office, and at the same time, the Bible does give us warnings about what happens when a nation turns their back on Him which we must take notice of. We read this here in 2 Chronicles 7 when Solomon finishes and dedicates the temple his Father David had a vision for which Solomon completed.
First though, He tells us what good occurs when a nation follows Him…
13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 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 and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.
2 Chronicles 7:13-15
On the flip side, here is the warning when a nation doesn’t follow Him….
19 “But if you[a] turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will pluck you[b] up from my land that I have given you, and this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21 And at this house, which was exalted, everyone passing by will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ 22 Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore he has brought all this disaster on them.’”
2 Chronicles 7:19-22
This is a stark warning that should cause us all to raise our eyebrows a little bit, say to ourselves, “Whoa!”, and take notice. As we move to our New Testament reading of 1 Timothy 4, the title of the beginning of the chapter in my Bible is “Some Will Depart from Faith” and it begins…
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,
1 Timothy 4:1-2
Sadly, this sounds all too familiar as we see the people of this nation turning their back on God and His Word. God gives each one of us the freedom and choice individually as to whether we want to follow Him. And I believe we should give every individual in this country the freedom of whether or not they want to follow God. No one should be forced, and yet the Scripture is very clear on what happens when an individual, and here a nation, chooses to turn their back on God.
Some may say it is too late and that our country has already turned its back on God. I think Scripture is clear as well that it is not too late. Our verses here in 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 seem to indicate that God had stopped the rain or blessings because of not following Him, but what He would do if Israel then returns back to Him. We also see many times throughout the Old Testament where Israel turned their back on Him and yet He showed them mercy when they returned to Him (and sometimes before). We also know the mercy He showed us through sending us Jesus with the verse I reference in my last post of Romans 5:8 stating He gave us Jesus “while we were still sinners” and undeserving. He’s a God of grace, love, and mercy.
What are we to do?
We are given some instruction in 1 Timothy 4.
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,[a] so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
1 Timothy 4:11-16
Each one of us who are followers of Jesus can control this in our own household and by how we live our lives and the example we set to others.
Finally, let us pray. Let us pray that our great nation will return back to the words, “In God We Trust.” These words (or something similar) and a call for prayer only seem to come from our country’s leaders when we are in tragedy. Let us pray we return back to these words and go to Him during all times.
