Today, we honor and remember all those who served, or are serving, in the defense of this great country in which we live. For those of us who have never worn a uniform we, too, have a responsibility to defend this land in which we live. Never before has our country been under attack from within as it is today! If there is any hope for America it is in God. We sing "God Bless America", but it seems that many Americans have forsaken God. In many ways, our country has forsaken Him. He is no longer welcome in our schools. He is despised by those in places of authority. He is scoffed at and laughed about by many. But He is the only answer to the calamities faced by our country. Our hope lies in getting back to God! One of the greatest hindrances of that happening is Christians who are not consecrated to God. The more believers who get right with God, the better country we will have. And what makes great Christians can be found below in the following scripture and devotional by Charles Spurgeon.
If, and a Triple Promise
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”—2 Chronicles 7:14
CALLED by the name of the Lord, we are nevertheless erring men and women. What a mercy it is that our God is ready to forgive! Whenever we sin let us hasten to the mercy seat of our God, seeking pardon.
We are to humble ourselves. Should we not be humbled by the fact that after receiving so much love, we yet transgress? O Lord, we bow before thee in the dust and own our grievous ingratitude. Oh, the infamy of sin! Oh, the sevenfold infamy of it in persons so favored as we have been!
Next, we are to pray for mercy, for cleansing, for deliverance from the power of sin. O Lord, hear us even now, and shut not out our cry.
In this prayer we are to seek the Lord’s face. He has left us because of our faults, and we must entreat Him to return. O Lord, look on us in thy Son Jesus, and smile upon thy servants.
With this must go our own turning from evil, God cannot turn to us unless we turn from sin.
Then comes the triple promise of hearing, pardon, and healing. Our Father, grant us these at once, for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake.
If, and a Triple Promise
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”—2 Chronicles 7:14
CALLED by the name of the Lord, we are nevertheless erring men and women. What a mercy it is that our God is ready to forgive! Whenever we sin let us hasten to the mercy seat of our God, seeking pardon.
We are to humble ourselves. Should we not be humbled by the fact that after receiving so much love, we yet transgress? O Lord, we bow before thee in the dust and own our grievous ingratitude. Oh, the infamy of sin! Oh, the sevenfold infamy of it in persons so favored as we have been!
Next, we are to pray for mercy, for cleansing, for deliverance from the power of sin. O Lord, hear us even now, and shut not out our cry.
In this prayer we are to seek the Lord’s face. He has left us because of our faults, and we must entreat Him to return. O Lord, look on us in thy Son Jesus, and smile upon thy servants.
With this must go our own turning from evil, God cannot turn to us unless we turn from sin.
Then comes the triple promise of hearing, pardon, and healing. Our Father, grant us these at once, for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake.
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he chose for his inheritance."
Psalm 33:12
No comments:
Post a Comment