Is All Lost?

 

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. ~II Chronicles 7:14

What do you know about the story of the Pilgrims? I was taught they lived in the Netherlands for a time to escape religious persecution until their children began to be more Dutch than English. I heard about the Speedwell that leaked causing them to return to England and load everything on the Mayflower. I even knew about the Mayflower being blown off course but, not until my children were in school did I begin to learn some of the most miraculous happenings. 

In the midst of a storm more than halfway across the Atlantic, the main crossbeam supporting the mast cracked. The sailors scrambled to prop it up but nothing worked. The Pilgrims began to pray. Mr. Brewster remembered the great iron screw of his printing press (Marshall, Peter; The Light and the Glory. pp118,119). A great iron screw for a printing press? Why would Pilgrims need such a thing? Mr. Brewster brought a printing press to print Bibles, likely copies of the 1599 Geneva Bible. The great iron screw did the job of holding the crossbeam together to get the Mayflower on across the waters. And so begins the voyage to hide Christ's church in the wilderness protected from the persecutions of Europe.  

A long hard winter followed the landing of the Mayflower but the Indians who died of disease left a store of corn. This small stockpile of corn sustained the Pilgrims until spring planting. But they knew nothing of planting in this new world. They knew nothing of hunting and fishing in the vast wilderness. One day an Indian walked into the Pilgrim's village with "Welcome". Welcome? No screams or raised tomahawk? No unknown language? In perfect English he greeted the Pilgrims with "Welcome". (Squanto by Eric Metaxes). Though half the passengers of the Mayflower had died that winter, still God was preserving a people to bring the gospel to the new world and establish the laws that would be the founding document of the US Contistution. That document was the Mayflower Compact. 

Throughout the history of the United States, the hand of God is obvious in times of war and peace. One of the main reasons could be the call to prayer. Washington called the nation to prayer and so did Lincoln.  But since the Supreme Court misconstrued the Constitution to mean freedom from religion instead of freedom of religion, we've been on a downhill slide that goes faster every day. Is all lost? 

II Chronicles 7:14 tells us that there is a way out. Not by the device of man but by the power of God. Read the passage again. 

We must humble ourselves, realize we are not in control. 

We must pray and seek God's face. It doesn't take a preacher to pray, just willing people who talk to God with all sincerity. 

We must turn from our wicked ways. What is that? The 10 Commandments say we shall have no other gods before the Lord God. What do we do in place of worship? When was the last time we read our Bibles or attended church? Is our language riddled with profanity? It's not just a habit. 

The rest of the verse says, turn and God will listen and heal our land. What needs healing? 

Heavenly Father, our land seems to be almost in collapse yet you have given us the way of escape. Just as you provided and protected the Pilgrims working miracle after miracle for them, you will do the same for us when we turn from our wicked ways and turn our hearts to you. In Jesus's name. Amen.