It is July 4th and God has laid a particular verse in front of me that I believe has great implications when it comes to our nation America:
And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people. But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 12:15-17 (emphasis is mine)
I hear many things concerning our nation. Different opinions, different fears, different solutions. Then after all these things I hear, as if to cover our bases: “Yes, but good thing Jesus is King.” To which we say “Amen.” but then continue on with our fears, doubts, and opinions concerning how this nation can be turned around.
The scripture above is very clear. There is one way in which this nation can stay planted: Will we obey? Obey what? Will we learn the ways of God’s people which is: “to swear by my name, The LORD liveth”
To Swear By My Name
One commentator comments on this phrase to mean: “Confess solemnly the true God.” Which leads me to believe that to truly “swear by my name” means nothing else but to: “confess with your mouth that ‘Jesus Is Lord’…” (Rom 10:9) Therefore here is the “solution” to keep American planted uprightly: The people of America must confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and live according to that confession. That is it. Nothing less and nothing more than that. And if we do not do that as a nation God makes it very clear: “I WILL utterly pluck up and destroy that nation.”
Begins and Ends
It all begins and ends with this doesn’t it? “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven, and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:9-11) Every person in this country will either confess that Jesus Christ is Lord now or they will do so later but, as God liveth, they will confess it. The state of America simply depends on whether it will be now (stay planted) or later (plucked up and destroyed).
Conclusion
As we inch closer to election month beware of listening to the lazy opinion of man. “verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.” (Ps 39:5). Don’t believe the lies that in order to fix our country we need a certain person in office, certain laws in place, certain taxes, or certain amendments made. We need one thing: a country wide revival of confession of the everlasting truth: “Jesus Christ is Lord.” Until this happens you can expect what God has promised: the uprooting of our nation.
What can you practically do? Pray. Jeremiah says earlier: “the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.” (Jer 12:11). The land of Israel came to a similar demise due to no man taking the state of the nation seriously at heart, going boldly into the throne room of God, and pleading with Him to revive and save the nation. That is what it will take. So I end with a question: Will you lay it to heart to become so burdened for America that you will say, like John Knox: “Give me America, or I die.”?
Action
- Praise God that He is everlasting, King of Nations, Creator of the Earth, and all nations are as a drop in the bucket to Him.
- Confess to God your lack of laying the state of our nation to your heart.
- Ask God to burden you for our nation and in particular the lack of true confession that “Jesus Christ is Lord”
- Listen to this post’s song: Christ Our Hope in Life and Death