Righteousness of a Nation
Knowing that November the 5th is just around the corner, we need to trust God over our nation. In our present political climate, we must take care to not put any trust in our politicians to resolve the mess we’re in. If we do, then the Lord says not only will the government falter, but we will as well. This is something history has proven time and again. But what history has also revealed is that when the church prays and seeks the Lord, when the church trusts in the Lord more than in the government, then the Lord brings healing to the land. The prophet Jeremiah tells us in 17:7, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord.” We are called upon to trust the Lord. Solomon said in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Let’s “not be wise in our own understanding,” but let’s trust the Lord!
God is in control. There’s an old spiritual I’m sure everyone has sung. The wording is simple, but very profound. It has four basic choruses: “He’s got the whole world in His hands, He’s got the Sun and the Moon in His hands, He’s got the little bitty baby in His Hands, He’s got you and me Brother in His hands.” God is in control. The prophet Isaiah in 40:12 paints a wonderful picture of God’s power, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens by the span, and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in a pair of scales?” If God was able to create our marvelous world, He surely is able to care for His people.
When it comes to righteousness, we the people have two types of righteousness to choose from, the righteousness of God or the righteousness of man. The righteousness of man is literally a man-made set of rules for righteous behavior. These rules however, have no definite roots. They are always changing based upon whatever the society and culture deem best at the time. This sort of righteousness, however, leaves people uneasy about God and the Bible. They know deep within themselves they’re not living in accordance with God and His word and are therefore standing condemned because their conscious convicts them. This is why our nation is trying to remove God from our government, courts, and schools. It’s the righteousness of man, not God’s, that unfortunately our country has accepted, and which now finds us killing babies in the womb, euthanizing the elderly or the hopeless, in addition to an alternative lifestyle where marriage can be outside God’s confines of a man and woman.
Our nation now finds itself calling evil what God says in His Word is good, and what God says is good, as being evil. Those who stand upon God’s Word are called intolerant even though the intolerance lies with those who don’t agree with His laws. God has a word for our nation; that word is “Woe.” “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20.
The Apostle Paul says in Romans 10:3, “For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” And God’s pronouncement, according to Isaiah, is judgment. But the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the end of judgment for all those who believe. When we come to belief in Jesus Christ it is no longer our righteousness we are living under, but God’s. It is then our conscience is clear, we are at peace with God, and He leads us in His ways. He is the One we can always trust.
The only righteousness that is acceptable in God’s eyes is the righteousness of Christ, who is perfectly just. And this righteousness is only available to mankind through faith in Jesus Christ. Back in the 1992 presidential debate, Bill Clinton coined this famous phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid.” The phrase not only won Clinton the debate, but it also helped him win the election, as America was caught in a recession. But the economy isn’t the real issue, rather it’s God’s righteousness. Proverbs 14:34 tells us, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”
Righteousness, not a great economy, is what exalts a nation; being in right relationship with God is what we should be seeking after. It should therefore always come first. Even if we fix the economy, Social Security, healthcare, unemployment, immigration, education, and any number of things that are broken in our country, if we don’t begin to live our lives in obedience to God, repenting and turning away from our sins, then nothing will ultimately be made right.
In the end, we need to realize that politics and government can never save anyone. While we can and should be involved in a positive way for a Godly change, this is only putting a Band-Aid over the problem. The root of our nation’s problems isn’t physical, rather it’s spiritual.
We come to that Scripture that is so often quoted and prayed for out of 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
If we want the Lord to heal our land, then our responsibility is to first place our trust in the Lord and not in the politicians or in our governmental agencies. We have to get down upon our knees and begin to pray and seek God’s face for our country. But we also need to live obedient lives to God’s word and repent of our sins. Then God’s promise is that He will hear, forgive, and heal.
And so, I ask you, vote, but don’t do it blindly or through blind loyalty to a political party. Vote righteously, morally, and in accordance with God’s word and to godly principles. Vote principle over party, politics, political promises, and pocketbook.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12
