My Country Tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty
This is a hard morning for me. I have been devastated by the damage done
with flooding to the lovely state of Colorado. The lovely place of repentance and rest for
me in Estes Park is devastated. My
church family in Aurora Colorado has now an added heartbreak, flooding and
homes and basements filled with filthy water.
My nation is broken down with grief over violence that has come into our
capital, Washington D.C.
I know of nothing to do except have
some times of silence and reflect on Jesus who is the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords.
“My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty of thee I
sing…
Land where our fathers died, Land of the pilgrim’s pride,
Of thee I sing”
John 11.
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus,
come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped
with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the
grave clothes and let him go.”
45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and
had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them
went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then
the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.
“What are we accomplishing?” they
asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let
him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will
come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
There is so much grief and
suffering in America today. Our nation
is in need of prayer and so we can do that.
Jesus encountered grief and suffering and redeemed it and still does
today. God bless all those who have lost
loved ones in the shooting in Washington D.C. and the floods in Colorado.
When we pray for those in need we
don’t know exactly how God will bless them, but He will. Maybe in addition some can help pump water
out of basements. Some can take a meal
over to someone whose has lost a loved one.
God help us as your children to respond to the needs as best we can.
Timing is critical in working with
God. Jesus said that observed what God
the Father was doing and then entered into it.
God help all of your children to be observant to doors that are open and
doors that are closed and respond accordingly.
The Spirit of God can come along
side those who are spiritually dead and make them alive. Ezekiel preached to dead bones and they came
alive. Families that some thought were
dead can come alive spiritually. Nations
that were thought to have no hope for true, Jesus-centered spirituality can come
alive. I have read that England was
spiritually dead when the revolution that created America happened. God is a God for all the nations. All the nations are to be brought into one
great flock when the will of God is done.
God help us to spread the good news of your Son Jesus as the King of
Kings to all nations and to our own especially. How much we need the prince of Peace.
There are skeptics and doubters who
will see the violence of Aurora, Newtown and now Washington D.C. as signs that
there is no God. Let us be a people who
will see these as signs that God is moving to bring about a new thing in America. "God bless America. Land that I love. Stand beside her. Guide her. Through the night with the light from above."
The Spirit of God is the
greatest comfort in the world to those who have lost loved ones. The Spirit of Jesus Christ is also the power
of resurrection to people who had at one time been alive but have now gone to
sleep or gone numb spiritually. God help us to awake and arise as your people.
To completely trust God 100% with
heart, soul, mind and strength is a bit of a challenge. We need God’s help to recommit every
day. "Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who
sin against us."
Silence. This is a healing force. God help us to "be still and know that You are
God."
Let us remove all the barriers to
us as Your children to be all we can be.
Our nation is in a time of trouble and suffering.
Land where our fathers died, Land of the pilgrim’s pride,
Help us to remember those who taught us the
faith in Jesus. Help us to remember how
they lived and died and what they sacrificed their lives for. Help us to look to You O God for help.
God you have done great things to
form this nation. Many of us, your children
here have become sleepy or numb to spiritual realities. We have accepted the world’ point of view
instead of your point of view. Help us
to get back to your point of view.
2 Chronicles 7.
14 if my people, who are
called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn
from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their
sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to
the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that
my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
John 11.
Thank you God.
Larry Wishard
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