Stark Contrast

Americans stand at a crossroads. Which direction will we go?

Never before have our choices been so different. So opposite.

Good or evil. Darkness or light. Love or hate. Forgiveness or revenge. Right or wrong.

And then there’s the election in November. But that’s not our most important choice.

“Well hold on just a minute! What’s more important than choosing our next President?”

The most critical choice Americans face is not at the polls. It’s in our minds.

So before you vote in November, decide whom you will serve: the God of the Bible or the god of self. Because, as Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters.”

One opinion editorial I recently read could be summed up like this: “You can vote for values and principles if you want, but I’m voting what’s best for me.”

That begs the question, “Why are you so important? Why do you think what’s best for you best for the country?”

The answer may be that people think like that because America is broken.

If you really listen to the speeches, no political leader knows how to fix America. They just want the opportunity to try out their ideas. No one knows if they’ll work.

Besides, how do we fix greed, evil or self-centeredness? Governments can’t fix those.

If presidents or parliaments could fix nations, wouldn’t we be on the right path by now? I mean, how long does it take? Every time we vote we hope--but the politicians let us down.

What we really need are leaders like the men of Issachar. “Who?” The men of Issachar.

To learn who they were you need a Bible. Go to the Old Testament book of 1 Chronicles chapter 12 and verse 32. During a time of national crisis it says these men “understood the times and knew what Israel should do.”

Compare the men of Issachar to those who would lead us today. It’s a stark contrast.

Now most partisans believe the candidate they’ve picked can lead us back to the “Promised Land” of the American Dream. But given the economic and moral mess we’re in, such leadership requires more than human ingenuity. Divine wisdom would come in handy.

First we must pick the right God. But which one, since Americans worship so many?

Israel’s general, Joshua, clearly described the choice we face today. He said, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. Whether the gods your forefathers served…or the gods of the…land you are living in. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

When America considered herself a Christian nation, when she served the God of the Bible, she became a great and powerful nation. But as we have turned our backs on him, he is turning his back on us.

The Biblical prophet Jeremiah revealed that if a nation served and obeyed God, he would protect and reward it. Then God added, “‘But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,’ declares the LORD.”

My question is this: “Is anybody listening to God?” Or are we so distracted by weather catastrophes and economic meltdowns that we fail to see his hand at work behind the scenes?

Maybe God is trying to shake our confidence in wealth, politics and American ingenuity.

Perhaps the right conclusion to draw from the Bible in light of our trials is that only God will never let you down. Politicians fail. Only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is forever.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!