Read and Reflect
2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Psalms 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,”
Why did I so uncharacteristically open this writing with scripture?
I’m glad you asked.
History Lesson
On January 20, 1953, while Dwight D. Eisenhower was being sworn in as the 34th President of the United States, his left hand laid atop two open Bibles. One was the Bible used by George Washington in 1789, and the other was Eisenhower’s West Point Bible. Washington’s Bible was turned to the 2nd Chronicles verse above. Ike’s West Point Bible was turned to Psalm 33:12.
I obviously knew nothing about what was taking place on that day sixty-eight years ago as I was still six years and one week from my womb emancipation day. 🙂
But, by the looks of it, Eisenhower was most likely trying to remind himself of the importance of…
Keeping first things first
which means
Keeping the main thing, the main thing
which means
Keeping God as the Lord of our great nation. (Psalm 33:12)
Conversation
The other day I was talking with a young person I’ve mentored for years, and he asked me what I thought about the most recent craziness that took place in our nation’s Capitol last week.
I took a deep breath, shook my head, and told him how I’ve observed the pendulum of our peoples’ political beliefs oscillating back and forth over the years and for the most part, the bob of the pendulum found common ground and progress at the center point; the point where God resides (my opinion).
I went on to tell him that the current bob of the political pendulum is now swinging so radically to the left and to the right that the bob spends very little time in the middle (common ground) where God is able to do His best work.
Summary
This has been an ugly year for our great nation.
Christians seem to have a tighter grip on their political beliefs than they do on God.
Our nation needs prayer.
Our nation needs Jesus.
Our nation needs Jesus followers instead of political party followers.
Spurgeon’s quote is so spot-on for what our world is experiencing these days…
Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, guide us back to You.
Please decrease the gap between the reach of each end of the political pendulum that’s existed for years in our great nation. May the bob of this pendulum fall to the middle and find common ground and truth through You.
Last, but certainly not least, inspire us to choose You to fill our emptiness and not the doings of the world.
It’s in Your Son’s name that we pray.
Amen.
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay@EagleLaunch.com
