Today's
Word for Wednesday MAY 22, 2013
GLORY
DEFINITION:
Exalted
honor; splendor; radiance; majestic beauty; adoring praise; worshipful
thanksgiving.
SCRIPTURE:
In
those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own
eyes. Judges 17: 6.
KNOWLEDGE
AND EXPERIENCE:
Apart
from Israel, no other nation has had such a Christian beginning as America.
Under the blessing of God, Israel began with a glorious heritage. Like Israel
of old, God's blessing rested upon early America. Our pilgrim forefathers made
it clear that they came to the shores of America to propagate the gospel. Yet
like Israel, as told us in the verse from Judges above, America has not only
forgotten our heritage but we have forgotten God. America has lost her GLORY!
It happened in America the same way it happened in Israel.
In
Judges 2:10 we read that a new generation arose which forgot their relationship
with God. Just like Israel of old, America is doing, "that which is right
in its own eyes." As believers we should be challenged to face the
concerns we have in America (and in many other countries like yours, if you are
not living in America) that Israel faced in years past.
In
Judges 9, Abimelech, an ungodly man, seized power in Israel through violence
and deceit and led the nation straight into judgment. This came right after God
honored Israel and its general, Gideon, by giving them a great victory over
their enemy the Midianites. The scripture tells us that as soon as Gideon died,
the Israelites forgot God. (Judges 8:33-35) They not only did not give God the
glory for all He had done for them but they chased after other gods. They were
unthankful and their ingratitude to God led them into apostasy. Here in America
and in most of the other countries of our world people have become a thankless
population. For GOD'S GLORY TO SHINE AGAIN WE MUST FIRST BECOME A THANKFUL
PEOPLE.
Secondly,
we learned that Israel's punishment for its thanklessness was a godless leader
named Abimelech who built his administration on a godless coalition by buying
his support with silver and killing his seventy brothers. In America (and other
countries) in order for us to see the return of GOD'S GLORY we must have the
determination to elect godly leaders who have the courage to reverse the
ungodliness in our countries.
And
finally we read in Judges 9:7-15 that the youngest son of Gideon and brother of
Abimelech stood up to warn Israel against godless leaders and told this parable
of the trees. All the good trees and vines were "too busy" to take
the reins of leadership --- which is what we are seeing today in our homes, in
our neighborhood, in our churches and in our government. As a result a useless
thorn-covered bush gladly agreed to become king. The thorn bush represented Abimelech
who became King when Israel no longer made godly leadership a priority. His
ungodly leadership brought destruction to Israel. The apathy that existed in
Israel is what we see today across our world. We need committed believers to
give godly leadership so we will see THE RETURN OF GOD'S GLORY! Ungodly
leadership leads to destruction all the time.
For
glory to return to our countries we must have a mass return of our people to
God. God works through His people. Who does He have to work through today? God
would rather forgive than to judge. In II Chronicles 7:14 we are told what we
as a nation must do if we are to avoid God’s judgment: “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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin
and will heal their land.” We need a mighty awakening in our countries so we
can all again witness the GLORY OF OUR LORD!
LEARNING:
Our
memory verse for this week is found in John 3:16.
For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
PRAYER:
Help
my family to remember that all that is necessary for evil to triumph in our
world is for believers like us to do nothing. Give us a new determination to
serve you and to reach out to the world that we live in to share the good news
of the gospel to all we talk to today.
