Without God...

Psalm 27:8 - When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, Lord, I will seek."

Time and time again Israel strayed from God even though they knew and experienced His provision. Like in our country's past years, when life became rich and the way of the world seemed prosperous, like Israel, God was turned aside for the things of the world set before them. Many today have forgotten He is our provider.

But think back...when God was ignored, what happened? Things fell apart. Lives became more difficult...provision was removed. What was God doing? Psalm 27:8 above explains what He desires...we come back and seek Him...for His provision, His mercy, His grace...then He will hear and take us back.

One nation without God will see disaster. One nation without God becomes divided. Aren't we seeing this? We must seek His face and we must humble ourselves and do what is right in His eyes for this nation.

He pleads for us to return, but it falls on many deaf ears. He will be merciful if we humble ourselves and seek Him. He promises good, not evil, but it seems evil will prevail and there will be consequences. His heart is saddened and angry, but desirous of mercy toward us. But it is up to us.

Hear Him speak. There is nothing better than to hear the direct words of God. Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet. His heart went out to Israel; his heart was an expression of God's disappointment in His people. Jeremiah's words are as applicable today for all. They are God's words spoken through Him. Although God weeps for His people and His words are hard, He will have compassion IF they turn from what they have sought and seek Him again.

The United States was formed by God's hand, bringing us into a land of freedom. It was developed with the belief that there was a Divine Authority over it, that it would prosper (and it has) as long as He was deemed the ultimate authority. Well, it seems there are some who want nothing to do with God. And as a nation we are beginning to listen to those who want His name to be removed from all things public...because it is an offense.

Listen to an excerpt from Jeremiah. Remember this is speaking about Israel...read it as if it were speaking of our country. Remember Israel and her time of captivity in Egypt and how God freed them? It's much like this country's history. God gave us this land. All of earth is His. We could very well come under judgment ourselves if we do not turn back.

(Jeremiah), go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, "Thus says the Lord: I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, when you went after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holiness to the Lord, the firstfruits of His increase..." Thus says the Lord: "What injustice have your fathers found in Me, that they have gone far from Me, have followed idols, and have become idolaters? Neither did they say, 'Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, through a land of drought and the shadow of death, through a land that no one crossed and where no one dwelt?' I brought you into a bountiful country, to eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land and made My heritage an abomination. Has a nation changed its gods, which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory [God] for what does not profit. Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; be very desolate," says the Lord. "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the Lord your God, and the fear of Me is not in you," says the Lord God of hosts. (Jeremiah 2:2, 3, 5-7, 11-13, 19)

I'm sure there was always a remnant of God's people, as there is today. A remnant on their knees pleading for His intervention in our lives and our country...in the lives of those who have forgotten...or need to know the importance of God in life.

God will hear our pleas if we just call out to Him. There still is a remnant. Despite what happens in the world, they are safely under His protection. Psalm 27:13 speaks the heart of all who believe and trust in Him: I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. All our hearts can be strengthened through knowledge and worship of Jesus. Let us as a nation stand against the omission of God. Let us look to Him for our provision. Seek Him, seek goodness...or evil will prevail.

Amos 5:14 - Seek good and not evil, that you may live; so the Lord God of hosts will be with you...