When we speak the Truth to our post-Truth world, we should expect opposition and persecution. We should expect to be treated no better than the prophets in Old Testament times. Before God sent Judah into exile in Babylon, He sent the prophet Jeremiah to remind the people that God had promised judgment if they fell away from Him. When Jeremiah delivered his message to the people, there was still time for them to turn to God for healing and forgiveness.
But the people of Judah didn't believe judgment was coming. They didn't believe God would keep His word. Perhaps they thought that God no longer punished disobedience as in times past. Perhaps they thought that God had evolved, that He had changed with the times. Perhaps they even thought, God won't punish us. After all, we are His people. There is no need for repentance. Love wins!
There is still time to repent. . . . And we must.
But the day eventually came when God's patience ended. The vast army of the Babylonians encircled Jerusalem and laid siege to the walls and gates. The people prayed for deliverance, but it was too late. They had passed the point of no return. Many were slaughtered, and the rest were led away in captivity. The city and its temple were laid waste.
For some reason, we in America think that our country is invincible. America will always be wealthy, powerful, and free. In spite of all the immorality, violence, rebelliousness, and sin in our nation, even many Christians think we're immune to God's judgment—just as the people of ancient Israel once thought.
Is God's judgment inevitable? No—there is still time to repent. How much time? I don't know. But I do know this: We can repent right now. Today. This very moment. And we must.
Prayer: Lord, forgive me for the ways I have presumed on Your grace. I know You have called me to die to self and to live a holy life as You are holy. Help me to be a beacon of Your Truth to my nation for our blessing as we turn to You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
"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" (2 Chronicles 7:14).
*This devotional adapted from The Hidden Enemy by Michael Youssef © 2018. Published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, IL. Used by permission.
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