Decades ago, Theodore Roosevelt prophesied that “the things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price; peace at any price; safety first instead of duty first; the love of soft living; and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”
Look around and you will have to conclude that the five things that Theodore Roosevelt predicted would destroy America are indeed destroying our nation from within.
We have too often sought prosperity at any price; we have sacrificed duty first for safety first.
We have chosen the soft life over the character-building hard life.
More often than not, our philosophy has been driven by the get-rich-quick mind set.
What America needs more than anything else on this 250th anniversary of our independence is not total disarmament; not a world-wide ban on nuclear weapons; not a woman president; not the elimination of all unemployment and inflation or a successful war on poverty. What America needs more than anything is what our 40th president, Ronald Reagan, once pinpointed in a speech: “While America’s military strength is important, let me add here that the struggle going on for the world will never be defined by bombs or rockets, by armies or military might. The real crisis is a spiritual one: at root it is a test of moral will and faith.”
There is an ancient message that God delivered to an ancient nation—Judah—that applies to our nation today:
- The Predicament of the nation (Judah), Jeremiah 3:1-5
- Judah had committed “spiritual suicide.” Nahum reminded Judah that God has His way in the whirlwind and in the storms. (Nahum 1:3: draughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes, heat-waves, floods, frost, snow, rain.)
- Who guided America to legalize the murder of infants? Or to ban the Bible and prayer from our public schools? Once we sang with our hearts, “Guide me O Thou Great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land.”
- The Pride of the nation, vss. 6-11
- Evidenced in their refusal to repent: “She returned not….” (v. 7); “Her treacherous sister, Judah, feared not but went and played the harlot.” (Jer. 3:7-9)
- America has some sins to repent of: abortion, alcoholism, divorce, child abuse, pride, idolatry.
- Evidenced in her hypocrisy, v. 10b. “… but feignedly saith the Lord.” She fakes it, goes through the motions.
- The Plea of God for the nation (Israel), vss. 12ff.
- What the nation needed to do:
- Return, v. 12
- Acknowledge, v. 13
- Turn, v. 14
- Return, v. 22 (“Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling…calling O sinner come home.”)
- What God would do
- Show mercy, v. 12
- Bring them into a good place, v. 14
- Give them good pastors, v. 15
- Heal their backslidings, v. 22
- What the nation needed to do:
It’s not too late! There is a divine remedy for backsliding: turn, return back to God today! As a nation, let us be reminded often: “My country, ‘tis of Thee; sweet land of liberty, of Thee I sing; land where our fathers died, land of the Pilgrims’ pride, from every mountain side, let freedom ring.
“Our fathers’ God to Thee; author of liberty—to Thee we sing: long may our land be bright, with freedom’s holy light; protect us by Thy might, Great God, our King!”
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)