In Mr. Kennedy's year 8 class, we were made to memorise the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States (with the assistance of School House Rock): "We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America." The Constitution was signed by 56 delegates who represented the 13 colonies to declare their independence from British rule and was a united effort to join together as one nation under God.
The eyes of the world are watching the events unfold in the United States with interest. Some might be like the school children who shout "Fight!" and gather around the scuffle with their phones out, keen for a spectacle Others, like myself, are deeply saddened and grieved over the violence, vitriol, looting, and wounds which appear incurable. In my expat eyes it seems instead of united as "we the people" the States has increasingly grown to be an "us" and "them" mentality. Great cracks have appeared in the pillars of the fear of God, love of others and respect for God's authority which undergird healthy society. Confidence in man is a snare, but with God there is always hope and deliverance when people turn to Him.
In light of devastation those who fear God in scripture consistently presented their needs before God with repentance. Righteous men like Nehemiah and Daniel included themselves as sinners when they interceded on behalf of their nation. It is as John wrote in 1 John 1:10: "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." It does us no good to confess the sins of others unless we are willing to include ourselves: we have sinned against God, we have abused authority, we have oppressed and hated, we have stolen and cursed. We have committed anarchy and treason in our rage against God. At the revelation the gates of Jerusalem were burned with fire and the wall was broken down Nehemiah fasted and prayed to God in Nehemiah 1:5-6: "I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, 6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned."
Nehemiah prayed 70 years on, "We have sinned, and I have sinned." The prayer of repentance is not one of "us" and "them" but "we" and "I." Unless we will own sin ourselves at least being equally guilty--and perhaps even more corrupt in our hearts and motives than the chief of sinners--our prayers may be sinful and hypocritical. In Luke 18 Jesus spoke of a Pharisee who thanked God he was not like other men who were sinners, and smugly compared himself with a tax collector he despised. The tax collector would not so much as lift his eyes to heaven in acknowledgement of his sinfulness and said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" Jesus said the humble tax collector who was broken for his own sin went home justified.
Are you furious at the sight of a detained citizen being kneeled on by law enforcement? Are you grieved to see people resort to violence and looting? Do you feel compassion towards those who are injured in a demonstration or peace officers following orders who have been attacked? How are you directing those emotions and thoughts? Bringing our brokenness to God through prayer and fasting is not a cop-out, and it is not the only thing to do. If we desire God's intervention and action it is vital we come to a place of humble personal ownership of sin and pray as Daniel did in Daniel 9:4-10: "And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments." We the people have sinned and rebelled by departing from God.
We have sinned; we are to blame. We find ourselves in great distress and trouble like a woman in labour unable to give birth. Have mercy upon us, O LORD, for there is no balm for our wounds, no end of the violence, brutality, and hatred. We have sinned and are brought very low. I am reminded of God's words to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:12-16 after the dedication of the temple: "Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually." There stands no temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem today, but God remains true to His Word: by grace He has made those who trust in Jesus the Temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. God is attentive to the prayers of His people, and when we humble ourselves and pray and seek God's face He will hear and answer. His eyes and His heart will be with us perpetually, even when we have sinned.
The eyes of the world are watching the events unfold in the United States with interest. Some might be like the school children who shout "Fight!" and gather around the scuffle with their phones out, keen for a spectacle Others, like myself, are deeply saddened and grieved over the violence, vitriol, looting, and wounds which appear incurable. In my expat eyes it seems instead of united as "we the people" the States has increasingly grown to be an "us" and "them" mentality. Great cracks have appeared in the pillars of the fear of God, love of others and respect for God's authority which undergird healthy society. Confidence in man is a snare, but with God there is always hope and deliverance when people turn to Him.
In light of devastation those who fear God in scripture consistently presented their needs before God with repentance. Righteous men like Nehemiah and Daniel included themselves as sinners when they interceded on behalf of their nation. It is as John wrote in 1 John 1:10: "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." It does us no good to confess the sins of others unless we are willing to include ourselves: we have sinned against God, we have abused authority, we have oppressed and hated, we have stolen and cursed. We have committed anarchy and treason in our rage against God. At the revelation the gates of Jerusalem were burned with fire and the wall was broken down Nehemiah fasted and prayed to God in Nehemiah 1:5-6: "I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, 6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned."
Nehemiah prayed 70 years on, "We have sinned, and I have sinned." The prayer of repentance is not one of "us" and "them" but "we" and "I." Unless we will own sin ourselves at least being equally guilty--and perhaps even more corrupt in our hearts and motives than the chief of sinners--our prayers may be sinful and hypocritical. In Luke 18 Jesus spoke of a Pharisee who thanked God he was not like other men who were sinners, and smugly compared himself with a tax collector he despised. The tax collector would not so much as lift his eyes to heaven in acknowledgement of his sinfulness and said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" Jesus said the humble tax collector who was broken for his own sin went home justified.
Are you furious at the sight of a detained citizen being kneeled on by law enforcement? Are you grieved to see people resort to violence and looting? Do you feel compassion towards those who are injured in a demonstration or peace officers following orders who have been attacked? How are you directing those emotions and thoughts? Bringing our brokenness to God through prayer and fasting is not a cop-out, and it is not the only thing to do. If we desire God's intervention and action it is vital we come to a place of humble personal ownership of sin and pray as Daniel did in Daniel 9:4-10: "And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments." We the people have sinned and rebelled by departing from God.
We have sinned; we are to blame. We find ourselves in great distress and trouble like a woman in labour unable to give birth. Have mercy upon us, O LORD, for there is no balm for our wounds, no end of the violence, brutality, and hatred. We have sinned and are brought very low. I am reminded of God's words to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:12-16 after the dedication of the temple: "Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually." There stands no temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem today, but God remains true to His Word: by grace He has made those who trust in Jesus the Temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. God is attentive to the prayers of His people, and when we humble ourselves and pray and seek God's face He will hear and answer. His eyes and His heart will be with us perpetually, even when we have sinned.
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