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