This America that we are living in is not at all the place I grew up in. I could ride bikes all over town without fear. I could walk downtown to the movies. Now, our kids cannot go to the mall without supervision and even schools can be dangerous. The media is full of hate words and hurtful attitudes. As Christians we are being told that we are sub human and that no one needs our Jesus any more. The evil points at us and blames us for all America’s troubles. Our names are put on terrorist watch lists because we are Jesus-followers. Our minds are distraught. Our souls are anxious. Our spirits seek encouragement, help, and hope. Go to His Word for encouragement.

Why do they hide and act as they do?

Isaiah 29:13 “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”

What will He do?

          Isaiah 29:14 “Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent with vanish.”

And should they try to hide?

          Isaiah 29:15 “Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?”

Job 34:22 “There is no deep shadow, no utter darkness where evildoers can hide.”

What about the lies they tell about the innocent?

        

Isaiah 29:20-21 “The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down—those who with a word make someone out to be guilty, who ensnare the defender in court and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice.”

Job 34:25-27 “Because He takes note of their deeds, He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed. He punishes them for their wickedness where everyone can see them, because they turned from following Him and had no regard for any of His ways. They cause the cry of the poor to come before Him, so He heard the cry of the needy.”

We are to continue to worship the one and only God no matter what the world says and no matter how loudly the world objects. Our God sees.

          Isaiah 29:19 “Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord; the needy will rejoice in the holy One of Israel.

Will we have an easy time here? No.

Will we be abandoned by the King of kings? No.

Will my soul fail me when I see the disaster coming? Not if I keep my eyes on the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the great I Am.

Throughout the stories in the scriptures are tales of persecution that led to victory, and at times their lives were the cost of following Jesus. I believe my God can save me from the disaster the evil ones have planned for Christians, but even if He does not, I will not deny my God!

Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego agreed that together they would not deny God. When they were thrown into the burning fire, Jesus met them and delivered them.

When Daniel would not stop praying to the God he loved, he was fed to the lions. These lions were starving and would eat anything. The angels of God were sent to surround and protect him from any evil or harm that was devised against him. He lived unharmed.

Abraham, loving his God so much that when he was asked to sacrifice his son on the alter, in obedience prepared his son for sacrifice. Just as he was going to take the life of his son, the angel of God told him to stop and He would provide the sacrifice, a ram caught in the bushes.

Stories go on and on. Persecution happens. God is with us. He is for us. But we are not blameless. Because of our sins God has declared judgement upon this country. Because of the innocent bloodshed, because of the immoral sins, because of the lies and plots of the wicked, America was warned, and God has raised His arm against us.

Will we still live in a free country a year from now? I don’t know.

Will war break out on the left and on the right? I don’t know.

We have wandered away so far. What is God’s best plan for America now?

“If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.” (Jeremiah 18:7-8)

What is our responsibility now?

Believe the word of God.

Repent from ignoring society’s ills as if it would not touch us.

Return to our Lord in humility and worship the King, and even if we are sent to the oven of persecution like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, we should not deny Jesus because there were four in the fire walking around.

 Written with all humility and love, Kathy

Edited by Spark34

Photos by Pixabay

Scriptures from the NIV.