I never dreamed that in my lifetime, I would see the disrespect for authority and disrespect for the public office – the police, the military, and the presidential office.   Our country is in turmoil from lack of trust, hatred, and even bigotry.  What has happened to us?  What has so drastically changed in this country?

In the Book of Judges, the people are in Israel and their leader, Joshua has died.  Honestly, as I read this book, I feel like things have not even changed from 2000 years ago!  They are in turmoil and chaos.  They became divided!  Sound familiar?  And, without a leader, they began to fall away from the Lord.

So, God lifted up “Judges” for the people of Israel to help them to discern from right and wrong – specifically the worshiping of other gods.  The people were no looking following the ways of the ancestors or walking in the ways of the Lord (Judges 2:17).  God was with the Judges – guiding them and helping them.  This would work for a while; however, when a judge would die, the people would soon turn back to their old ways.

I believe this is the one major problem in our country – we have fallen so far from God.  We are not walking in the ways of our ancestors.  I have seen it!  Children who have been raised in the church, no longer go to church.  Therefore, their children are not being raised in the church.  And, so the cycle just keeps going until so many people no longer know the Lord.  Here is what I know for sure…Without God, things will never change or get better…With God, we might stand a chance!

As Christians, we have a lot of work to do to proclaim Christ!

Let us pray…Gracious God, give us the strength to reach out to others and bring them to you.  Be with us and give us the words that will open the hearts of the others.  Send your Holy Spirit turn the hearts from evil and hatred.  In your name we pray, Amen.