Monday, May 18, 2015

Harbingers....

Recently, there has been much talk about Harbingers or disasters in our country and our world.  Around the globe, there are so many natural disasters occurring that it seems we hear about 1-2/week.  Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, as well as Tsunami's in Haiti and Japan, just to name a few.  Tornados of catacylismic size in Joplin, MO and Moore, Oklahoma were devastating to our country.  Other disasters have been in the news over and over in the past few years - shocking us into reality!  The school shootings at Columbine and Sandy Hook were and are so deplorable that we cannot fathom a world in which they do not occur anymore.  The world of "Leave it to Beaver" from the 1960's is over.
A few years ago, there used to be a shooting like was rare, now they are much more frequent and happen on a weekly/monthly basis.  Environmental, social, and national disasters are happening at a fast and furious pace in today's world.

Have you ever thought about why we are having these natural disasters?  Yes, I know the theory of global warming and the fact that the population around the world has increased so much that we are distressing the earth's resources.  We are going beyond the natural boundaries in so many ways.  Yes, duly noted.  But, it is so much more......

A  Harbinger is a precursor or forerunner.  Many times it is a forerunner of doom or disaster.  It can be considered a herald or omen of the future as well.  Our country experienced one of the most horrific "harbingers" ever imagined on September 11, 2001.   The world trade centers were destroyed along with thousands of lives.....none of us can ever forget that fateful day in the United States of America.  All of us remember exactly where we were or what we were doing the moment we saw the trade centers exploding.  It is a daunting memory.

Two summers ago, I read a book called The Harbinger.  It impacted me so greatly, that I wanted to buy 100 copies and give it to everyone I know!  I could not afford to do so, but it has come up again recently in a call to pray for our country by Anne Graham Lotz. 

Our country is in serious disarray.  The decay in our social, moral, financial, religious/spiritual, agricultural, and emotional well-being is profound.  Most of you who know me, know that I am not a "doom and gloom" type person.  I don't dwell on the negative and instead try to live my life in a positive, life-affirming way.  But, we must face reality and wake up!!!  We are succumbing to the ways of destruction and it is mostly due to our own ignorance.  Yes, it is our own fault.  Yep, you read that right.  We are causing our country and our world to fall.  Little by little, day by day, one compromise at a time.

To me it starts with the decay in our families.  The decay of our families in the USA have proven to be so disastrous, yet it is second nature in our society.  Divorce is so common place that most people don't even blink an eye anymore if a person has been divorced 2-3 times.  That is a disaster for us, for our kids and for future generations.  Unfortunately, my parents were divorced back in 1973 and I have been divorced since 1980.  It is grueling to go through.  It has impacted my own emotional state as well as my son and 3 nieces and 2 nephews.  Three out of four siblings in my family are divorced.  What in the world has happened to us as a family?  Brokenness.  Feelings of insecurity.  Feelings of failure.  Yet, "picking ourselves up by the boot straps" is common place in our society.  It is a disaster.  It is sad.  It is ugly.

This nation was founded with a Declaration of Independence and a Pledge of Allegiance.  "One nation under God."  Yes, that's right. Under God.   He was our first priority at one time.  We have "In God We Trust" on all of our money in the USA.  But, do we really trust Him anymore?  I think not.  It is very apparent that our world doesn't trust God anymore than we trust each other.  Look at our world, look at our culture, look at our families.  What do you see?  Do you see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness or self-control anywhere?  Not very often.  What we see on the news more often is hatred, rioting, impatience, road-rage, abuse, unfaithful people, harshness and absolutely everyone doing whatever they want when they want to do so.....the rule book has been thrown out and we do as we please.  No matter what.  It is a disaster.  It is sad.  And, it is ugly.

On 9/11/01 people screamed out:  "Where is God?"  Well, think about it!!!  We have shoved God out of our homes, our schools, our government, and our society so much over the past 50  years, why should He answer us anymore?  He is a gentleman, not a thug.  He won't force us to believe in love, mercy, forgiveness or grace.  Those are His gifts to us, not mandates.

We need to wake up America!!!  We need to get back on track.  We need to pray for this country and for our families.  We need to ask God for help.  We need to ask God to be in our relationships, in our motives, in our thoughts, words, deeds, actions, reactions, but mostly our responses.  We need God in our homes, our schools, and yes, our government.  We need a light to shine on our country.  We need Godly leadership.  We need people who are going to stand up for what is right - not submit to what some "politically correct" agenda is saying.  We need our God and we need Him NOW!!! 

Micah 6:8 says:  "He  has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does He require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

That is my fervent prayer:  Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God. 
Please pray with me - it is an urgent call!!!

No comments:

Post a Comment