Quiet Contemplation - Day 49

Jeremiah 2:11-13 (NLT)

“Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols! The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay,” says the Lord. “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me—the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”

            Every now and then we do well to remind ourselves of the gravity of our nation pulling away from being “One nation under God.” We do ourselves an injustice when we put blinders on and think that because God is in control of all things our response doesn’t  matter. Clearly, the prophet Jeremiah reminds the people through God’s word that there are two actions taking place. The first action is the turning away or forsaking of God. But the second action is also evil. The second action is finding things other than God to fill the void left in our lives, which sometimes can be the simple action of ignoring the problem thinking it will go away on its own.

            Let us be absolutely clear. Yes, God is indeed control of all things. In the end, only God will prevail. But what we choose to do, or choose not to do, is a testament of the trust and obedience we give our Heavenly Father—be that the positive action of drawing nearer or the negative action of falling further away.

            There are those in our nation whom if given the opportunity would lead us further away from serving God as a nation. They would lead us down the path of self (e.g., self-gain, self-importance, self-riches, self-love, anything self-centered). My friends, even ignoring the problem is an act of self, namely, that of self-convenience. It is far more convenient for us to pretend the situation isn’t as bad as we think. The reality is any slight deviation away from God will one day bear catastrophic consequences.

            Few of us will ever be called to service as leaders of our nation. However, all of us are called to be a people of prayer for our nation. Complacency is not the answer. Prayer is.

Gracious Heavenly Father,

            We are so tempted to look away from the evil surrounding us. We pray for strong leadership to guide our nation back to you. Truly, Heavenly Father, you are our fountain of living water; there is no sustainable future without you. Forgive us where we fail you and move us forward in faith, in trust, and in obedience.

            In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Respectfully written and submitted by

Dotty Willmon, Resurrection Christian—looking for the blessed hope of Christ’s return!