Welcome to America...
Romans 1:18-32
New Living Translation (NLT)
God's Anger at Sin
18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.[a] 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
If you are like me, you went numb at the news last night about the election. If you're like me, you probably didn't sleep as well as you would have liked. If you're like me, you probably complained more before you voted than you prayed. (swallow hard as reality sinks in)
Although the verses above could have been written about America, that doesn't diminish the fact in the least that God is still God, and He is much bigger and much more powerful than any political party or any interest group. Does that mean He has to scoop us out of the mess growing around us? No. Does that mean that even the strongest and most faithful of Christians will be spared difficulties in the days ahead? No. It means that God is still God, regardless of who is in the white house. It means that His word is just as true today and next year as it was in the day it was written. It means that He still loves you, and He still loves me enough that He gave His only son as a sacrifice to clean up the messes in our lives and restore us to intimate relationship with Him.
Regardless of who got the most electoral votes... regardless of who got the most popular votes,
II Chronicles 7:14 still holds true:
2 Chronicles 7:14
New Living Translation (NLT)
14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.
God is still looking for a remnant of people that are willing to follow Him ferociously.
