February 3, 2020
For full passage click: Isaiah 58:1-2 … “Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God.” vs. 2
The nation of Israel believed that they had a special relationship with the Lord. There was a whole tribe dedicated to the care of the temple and they were meticulous about offering the proper sacrifices. They were religious to the core! But the prophet believed that the nation was only fooling itself–the people didn’t even come close to doing the things that really pleased God. Sometimes we see that kind of hypocrisy in the United States. We label our money “In God We Trust,” and then revere those who have made money their god. Our pledge of allegiance claims that we are “one nation, under God…with liberty and justice for all,” while many question just how inclusive that liberty and justice really is. It’s hard for many to hear such criticisms; for them loyalty to God and country are one and the same. But we can’t read Scripture and not realize that our public piety is only skin deep—we don’t even come close to being a holy nation. Thank God for the millions of Jesus-people whose thousands of congregations are dedicated to being the presence of Christ in this land. It is them and not the pious, posturing politicians who make this country a blessing to the world.
Thought for the Day: Why do some claim the U. S. is a Christian nation?
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