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March 2005 2 Samuel 22:5-21 vs 5-7 "When the waves of death surrounded me, the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol (Hell) surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry entered His ears... vs 17-21 He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too strong for me they confronted me in the day of my calamity, But he Lord was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me." One can't help but reflect on the culture of death that has been growing in strength in the United States. In recent years, month, weeks and days unnatural death, grief and oppression have been tightening it’s grip and showing it’s ugly head as the news media defends abortion, sensationalizes murders, and reports lies in order to make a nation believe that it is okay to let a disabled woman die of dehydration and starvation. Young boys and girls murder one another and then kill themselves as they act out “harmless” fantasies from “death games” such as Dungeons and Dragons. Legislators and judges are determining who will live and who will die. Coupled with natural and man-made disasters these issues of death are relentless and just as our scripture reads the waves of death are surrounding us and the floods of ungodliness are trying to make us afraid. It seems we are spiraling into Sheol and the snares of this death culture are now confronting our faith. As Christians what can we do? The sins of the nation are overwhelming, they are mounting up to heaven, and the innocent blood that has been shed in our Land is crying out for revenge. What can we do when things are so overwhelming? “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry entered His ears…” That, children of the Lord Jesus, is what we can do. We can and we must cry out to God. It is vital that we not sit complacent and apathetic and let this culture of death overtake our land and our lives. Get on your face before God. Repent on behalf of this nation and yourself for allowing Satan to grip our land with such ugly sin and for accepting it as part of our culture. Repent before God and cry out to Him for mercy on this nation. Ask for the salvation and/or replacement of the judges who would sentence innocent defenseless people to death. Ask for the Lord to have mercy on our teenagers and to send out people into the harvest field who can reach those who walk in the shadow of death. Cry out to God for the salvation of those working in the media. Ask that TRUTH be told and that all things hidden in darkness be revealed and dealt with. Petition, beseech, beg the Lord to redeem our Land through revival of the American Church. When you repent on behalf of the nation, just like Daniel did on behalf of Israel, just like Moses stood in the gap so the people would not die, it says in our text that God begins to shake the earth because He is so angry. He thunders from heaven and scatters our enemies with arrows and lightning bolts. Then, though we are confronted by this sin and we live in a day of calamity, the Lord will deliver us…because He delights in us. If we do not choose to repent… If we do not choose to pray… If we remain complacent, I have a holy fear of what will befall this nation. Repent and pray. The Lord is ready to fight for us, but we must turn from our wicked ways, humble ourselves and pray … then He will hear from heaven and heal our land. ~Selah~ Lord, deliver us from Evil...In Jesus Name, Amen. Cheryl |
