A Call to Repentance & Unity

We can all see our nation is in trouble. That should be obvious. But how did we get here? Before you begin pointing to one side of the political spectrum or the other and start listing policies which you might or might not agree with, think deeper.

In my prayer time, the Lord drew my attention to two verses that contrast with one another. Israel faced such a crisis that created an inward turmoil over the external threat, the Assyrians. However, the Lord does not call out specific individuals as the cause. He calls the entire nation to account for its sin. This is what He had to say.

Alas, sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, offspring of evildoers,

Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, they have despised the

Holy One of Israel, they have turned away from Him.

Where will you be stricken again, as you continue in your rebellion?

The whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint.

From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is nothing sound in it, only bruises, welts,

and raw wounds, not pressed out or bandaged, not softened with oil.

Your land is desolate, your cities are burned with fire, your fields -strangers are devouring them in your presence. It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers (Is. 1:4-7 NASB95).

From God’s perspective, the entire nation had sinned and taught their children to do so. Corruption ran rampant. The cause: abandoning the Lord. Now contrast that with what the Lord desires.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard,

Coming down upon the edge of his robes.

It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion;

For there the LORD commanded the blessing–life forever (Ps. 133).

Susannah Wesley, other of John and Charles, defined sin for her children as “whatever weakens your reasoning, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away your relish for spiritual things, in short, if anything increases the authority of the flesh over the spirit, that to you becomes sin, however good it is in itself.” Notice that Isaiah describes the result of sin: festering wounds that lack anointing. Everyone is raw and on edge because of the wounds they carry. Why, because the condition of unity in worship and repentance is lacking. In stark contrast, Psalm 133 is a Song of Ascent, sung as people were going to worship at the temple. When we choose to come together and abide in God’s presence, anointing flows that can heal every gaping wound and bring unity.

Dear one, we do not need a day of defiance against policies we disagree with; we need a national call to repentance. We need to make a conscious decision to come into communal unity and ask the LORD to heal our land, not political parties. Their actions are but symptoms of the sin of the whole. When the people of the land pray, God intervenes. When the land is healed and people transformed, we will see righteousness prevail. Make no mistake, God is able. While it has been used in many times of crisis, recall God’s promise.

If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and

Seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,

Will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chron. 7:14 NASB95).

Won’t you join with me and countless others across the nation in repentance and prayer for our nation this week? And as we do so, let us not forget to pray for those in authority over us in accordance with 1 Timothy 2:1-4, from President Trump to Governor Newsom, and all our elected officials across the nation, “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”