“Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth” (Hosea 6:1-3).
Introduction
Our land has become a cesspool of immorality and wickedness. Our politicians seem to be determined to allow evil to flood the whole nation. Our religious leaders eagerly defend the most spiritually depraved while lambasting those who stand up for the true ways of God. The country is not only sick; it is rapidly decaying with putrefying sores. Only a healing touch from God is going to heal the land, and not until we return unto Him in true repentance.
Decay
“Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land” (Hosea 4:1).
Though these words were directed against Israel, we can see that they apply to our nation too. Any land that has been mightily blessed by God runs the risk of the direst of circumstances once it departs from His standards. When its people cast off God and His word, mercy and truth are hard to find. Truth is the fruit of being right with God, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Mercy is automatically evident in those who follow the Lord, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7).
The vast majority of our people have forsaken the God of the Bible. They know next to nothing of the teachings of the Bible. They only know Christ at Christmas and Easter, or when they take His name in vain. Christian truth is absolutely alien to most people, and if they are presented with the Scriptures, they will not take the time to read them. All they want is to enjoy their entertainment and pleasure.
We need a move of God in our land. A revival that will shake every man, woman and child to the bone. Ritualism is not going to work, instead there needs to be raised up a band of faithful, committed and bold believers who are willing to share life-changing salvation with the lost. Before the man on the street comes to Christ, the pew-warmer must repent and return unto the Lord.
Disease
“By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood” (Hosea 4:2).
This is basically the headline in most daily newspaper today. Such corruption is seen on every level of society and is the measure of the spiritual condition of our land. It is not just that people are doing evil things, but that wickedness fills their minds. It seems that our people are reprobate and depraved. “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:33-37).
Where has clean, pure and wholesome speech gone? Why cannot people speak without profanities, blasphemies and filthy words? The church of Christ has to be separate from all of this. “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth” (Colossians 3:8). Added to this is how lying is overlooked and even applauded in society today. All this comes from rejecting the Living God. “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
Life is cheap today. Guns, knives and other deadly weapons are in the hands of youths who desire to spill blood. They have received enough education to make them model citizens, but instead they are like wild animals. They steal, kill, cheat and destroy because they are not taught the right things from the right source. “Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's” (Exodus 20:13-17). The educationalists mock the Bible, but what have they done to improve our nation?
Conclusion
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17). It is therefore important that repentance start with us too. We are the only ones who can influence society; this was certainly true in the past and can be again. If we return to the Lord, then He will pardon, cleanse and revive us.
© 2/3/2009