God's Protection

Most people I know live pretty smug lives.  They are self assured and expect nothing terrible to go wrong in their lives ever.  I suppose it is just the nature of the PRIDE of man to be this way - to expect peace to surround them without any personal cost.  So, they live their lives as if there is no cost - and curse God when suddenly evil rears its ugly head ...

I have quietly been watching for decades the decline of this once great country - borderline Christian but apparently enough so that God seemed to be watching over America.  He was blessing and yes, correcting as well - even bringing international shame upon this nation since 1970's.  But fewer and fewer have noticed.

And just as in Jeremiah's time, any blessing was removed from the nation and replaced by blessings upon individuals.  Of course, as the hearts of the many were turned from God - so increased their wrath against those whom still stood for God.

As the decades have passed, since I first had this terrible thought, I have witnessed the national erosion of blessing with the sins of the many blocking any greatness which God could bestow upon the nation.  When on a governmental level we see murder as the State policy in foreign affairs and often internally as well - something God does care about strongly - can we be surprised at the carnage we are witnessing?

God is not there to protect us, He is there for us to bless Him.  Any blessings we may receive is completely due to His grace and mercy - not because we deserve or have earned it!

How can we possibly regain God's personal or corporate protection?

Two things God hates more than anything, as documented in the Bible:

• Murder
• Divorce

To withdraw from being cursed due to murder, well is a hard to accomplish in this culture!  Outright murder, abortion, surreptitious death sentences, assassination, made up war, bombings would all have to go away.  We live in a culture of death.  We are comfortable with.  We have no concept of the human cost infected by this culture - because after all it is to be expected, it is normal.  This is not say you can not defend yourself, but it does mean to stop being the instigator of the flow of the blood this culture has poured so coldly into the grave.

And divorce.  Sigh.  All generations of my Scottish based family have been thus afflicted.  No, not just randy men but some real honest to gosh psycho women as well!  Why even pretend that marriage means something when there is not even an attempt at permanence?  Why attempt at marriage when divorce is so extremely easy to acquire?  Change begins in the hearts of all us, to stand outside of culture to make marriage mean something - even if it is only to us!  We have to re-cultivate the understanding that marriage is not a piece of paper, some dude saying you are married and then partying.  It is about commitment - which means understandings, knowledge, wisdom, etc - and you possess none of those attributes - you are involved and must stand aside for those whom do possess unbiased status can judge.  OMG!  I used the J word!  Yup.  Understand this, most marriages are not of God and are based on man's desire, not His.  That is why Godly wisdom and judgement are required.  Notice the requirement for God in the lives of those assisting us!

Oh yeah, there are other areas as well we must personally clean up but this is just a swipe at the 80% of the problem.