IN GOD WE TRUST
Ps. 33:8-22

     "Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
     Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling-place he watches all who live on earth— he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you."

When the psalmist wrote, "Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him," he was looking toward a time when there would be believers from every nation, tribe, and language. The alternative is to have nations who do not trust God and, in fact, oppose His plan and purpose.  In a recent message I reminded the congregation that, God isn't going to bless their plans.  That's because God's blessing follows obedience.  And obedience is organizing your life around His plan for you.  The same is true for nations.  "The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples."  Why? He does it so that His perfect plan will prevail. 

This passage makes it crystal clear that the nation that is blessed by God is the nation that follows God; it is the nation that can say with honesty and determination, "We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name."

As pointed out in a letter to the President from the members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus recently, the motto of the United States of America is "In God We Trust."  I just want to remind you that the "we" of the motto is not just the members of Congress and/or the President; it is not just the clergy or the "faithful few" in the pews of America's churches.  In David's time or in ours, in America or anywhere else, for a nation to be blessed by God the "we" who trust Him must be "we, the people." 

Here is the truth: before there will be restoration in the nation there must be revival.  As God says in 2 Chron. 7:14: "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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  Friends, I ask you to personally seek the Lord with all your heart and then pray for God's Spirit to move once again upon the hearts of our people.

Pastor Keith Andrews