"Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it." Ezekiel 14:13 (NKJV)
There seems to be a lot of apprehension, doubt, anxiety and fear from many who call the United Sates of America their home. I think a steady bombardment of economic doom and gloom on the airwaves of our televisions and radios have begun to take their toll. Unfortunately, our hope is one of the first casualties that will take a direct hit when it comes to our worldly outlook on the future.
A continual feeding of reports filled with statistics, and visual images start to shape and transform the minds of the most optimistic people into something that they would have never imagined--pessimism, slander and backbiting become a part of the new character makeup.
This is exactly what the Bible tells us will happen when we stop following the Lord and we exchange the truth of God for a lie--when we serve the creature rather than the created (See Romans 1:18-32).
While it is true that the devil and his emissaries are pouring on their final attack on the human race, we Christians are told to be steadfast, optimistic, and full of hope in what our future entails (See Rom 8:23-25; 12:9-13). Furthermore, we have been given clear instructions as to how we should defend ourselves against Satan's evil schemes. And we have been given great counsel on what we need to think upon when it comes to meditating on any thoughts that go through our mind (See 2Cor 10:4,5; Phil 4:6-8).
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
God has given us so much in our country and as a result, we are the most blessed country on the face of the earth. Unfortunately many Christians have become jaded to both our blessing, and to why it is that we received it. Many have turned from the Word of God, and have instead sought after other things to fill their minds and their time. The direct result of so many Christians seeking these other things has caused an erosion of the faith and the way it is practiced. The byproduct is that God is one of the last things that is on our mind, and thus receives the last of what we have whether it is our time or our money.
Every kingdom, society, or individual that has walked with God, only to turn back to the ways of the world has experienced a downward spiral in their physical and spiritual lives. I call this a "Spiritual Disaster!"
A quick look into the Old Testament will show many "Spiritual Disasters," and how God stopped blessing those who used to follow and adhere to His teachings (See 1st and 2nd Kings). It is my personal belief that our country is in the midst of a "Spiritual Disaster" right now. But I also believe that we will have a great Christian revival that will take place as a direct result from losing our great physical blessing from God.
Notice I said, "Physical blessing."
Q: What about our "Spiritual Blessing," have we lost that as well?
A: I believe that we lose our spiritual blessing as a result of not abiding in what the Lord would have us do in any particular situation. So the magnitude of our loss of God's spiritual blessing is directly related to the continual act of disobedience, or the repentive act of confessing and submitting to the will of God.
Example #1 Let's say that God wanted to bless us with money so that we had plenty of it to use wisely, and to invest into the lives of others, but we chose to take the little that was given to us and use it unwisely for selfish or foolish things--we purchased things that fed our appetite for fun, or we bought things that fed our fleshly bondage to sin such as drugs, alcohol, or even gambling. The direct result is that God might take that blessing away that we once had, or He may withhold giving us more because of our poor choices, and this might result in a life of struggle and lack of blessing.
Now, I am not suggesting that every person who is poor is faltering in these areas. The fact is, that they might be totally obedient to God, and madly in love with Him. What I am saying is that there are many times in our Christian walk, where God will not bless us because we are not being obedient and faithful with what we have been given, nor are we being thankful, or good stewards of it. This isn't just a principle for money--but for everything that we are given by God--every possession, talent, and ability.
So losing a physical blessing from God is really a byproduct of already losing a spiritual blessing-they run hand in hand.
In part II of this devotional series we will begin to look at God's Word to find an antidote for the "Spiritual Disaster" that we are going through as a Christian country.
STUDY QUESTION: What did God say to Ezekiel about a Nation that is persistently unfaithful?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you willing to pray for forgiveness and to repent on behalf of our Nation for the sin that we have been committing?
APPLICATION: Seek the Lord today humbly and ask for forgiveness for unfaithfulness to His Word and for guidance in how we should live before Him.
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