God’s Attributes 4
GOD’S GLORIOUS ATTRIBUTES
HIS PROVIDENCE
God’s Attributes – Part 4
By Rayola Kelley
This month we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. For some people it is another holiday to watch football, stuff themselves with food, and gather with family and friends. However, for me this holiday is one celebration I value deeply because it was something the founding fathers of this nation realized was of great importance when it came to the wellbeing of this nation.
We know the first Thanksgiving in 1621 entailed a feast after the pilgrims had suffered much loss due to sailing over the Atlantic Ocean to a new, unsettled land in order to have religious freedoms. Their trip took two months and they had to stay on board the Mayflower ship the first winter, but even so they were not prepared for the weather conditions. At the end of the ordeal out of the 102 passengers that sailed from Europe only 53 remained and only half the crew survived. The Mayflower did safely sail back to England, but the new residents of the land had to build shelters and plant food in preparation for the following winter. If it were not for the natives of the land, they would have perished. They called for a feast after having their first harvest and invited the Indians who had helped them through their ordeal to celebrate a very solemn moment as they remembered their Creator who brought them thus far and provided the means for them to survive.
Through the first years of our fledging nation, there were different leaders who called for a day of Thanksgiving, one being President George Washington in 1789 to remember that if it was not for the great intervention and blessings of Providence (their word for the sovereign God), that America would have not been. It was finally in 1863 that Abraham Lincoln made it an official holiday during the Civil War.
I think that after studying the history of Thanksgiving I realize that our leaders knew the importance of being thankful towards their Creator, especially in troubling times. As a result of their understanding that no nation would survive without God’s intervention, America not only survived but in WWII became a leading nation in the world.
When you consider the struggle of other countries all over the world, you realize America is an exceptional country. We are not exceptional because we are unique or superior as a people, but because our leaders recognized that without God’s blessings and intervention we would not be here as a nation. Now note they did not promote one religion over the other; rather, they pointed to God as being the decisive factor in determining if the American experiment of a Republic, where people would govern themselves while the main role of the federal government was the responsibility to protect the people, would survive, and SURVIVE IT DID BY THE GRACE OF GOD.
As pointed out by our founding fathers, this nation can only remain a true republic as long as the people remain moral. We know that morality stands as a cornerstone to true justice, but the pillars of justice are truth and mercy. All justice will line up to the cornerstone of morality while considering all matters in light of truth with the desire to show mercy where it is truly sought.
America has been a very blessed nation because some of the leaders in our nation had the foresight to recognize that without the providence of our Creator, of our God, America would never become the nation that it did. When I first heard the word “providence,” I assumed it had a similar meaning as “sovereign,” but sovereign has to do with supremacy over all, while providence points to wisdom, foresightedness, prudence, and far-sightedness working within the providence of events in light of future vision.
As I thought about our nation’s forefathers’ presentation of God, I had to stand in awe of it all. They sought the help of Providence to establish a government by the people and for the people. They seemed to know that without Providence on their side, they would not be able to stand, withstand, continue to stand, and endure the challenges that would plague an infant nation coming to maturity. They wanted to put together a government (three branches) that would have the necessary checks and balances to prevent tyranny, and if one branch became abusive in its authority and power, the other two branches along with the people would have the means to correct it and bring it back into balance.
They established the goal and identity of this country (Constitution) along with the Bill of Rights which was the first ten amendments passed by congress in September 25, 1789 and ratified in December 15, 1791. I want you to think about this for a moment; the greatest miracle is that men could actually agree on a certain government, a constitution, and amendments. They actually could come to a place and reason together in such a way that a solution could be presented and I believe the reason was because the Constitution and Bill of Rights pointed to that fact that they were honorable in regard to all people. To me this is the greatest example of Providence. These men sought Providence for the wisdom to put a document together to declare their intention of being an independent nation from the tyrannical rule of a king and a Parliament that was indifferent to their needs and problems as a people. They stood up knowing that it might well cost them their lives, but they would not back down even though it would cost them their land, and once they put their hand to the plow, they had to count the cost because it could also cost them their families, or even their very lives.
These men had a sense of destiny that was bigger than they could imagine and at best could only be expressed in a simple, but beautifully written document, the Constitution. Clearly, no one will be willing to sacrifice all for something that is not greater than they, that won’t reach beyond a few generations, a vision and dream that could last for a couple of centuries and beyond. These men knew they would be counted as traitors to the cause of the king, but they could not be traitors to the vision and dream. They risked taking the position of statesmen, leaders, and representatives as they looked beyond the present danger to dare dream of thirteen colonies unified under one government, their own flag, and becoming sovereign as a nation. To them the vision was worth it even in light of utter destruction and defeat.
Today we enjoy the fruition of their vision and dream. Sadly, there are those who do not know what they have because there is no contrast, no understanding of past cost, and no appreciation for sacrifice. Tragically, without an understanding of the cost, those who follow and benefit from the sacrifice of others fail to see living in this country as a privilege, but rather see themselves as deserving it, and will trample under the pearls of past sacrifices in their pigpens of ungratefulness and foolishness.
Throughout it all, different leaders overseeing a struggling nation with the belief in Providence knew there was One to thank for not only the blessings upon this nation but the opportunity for people to pursue the best and reach the heights of excellence. Keep in mind, there were those times that leaders were encouraged to come back under tyranny when the times got tough, but they remembered that the American experiment was that people do not need tyranny to keep them in line because of being morally depraved and lawless; rather, they could take control of their destiny by holding themselves to a higher standard. This understanding gave these leaders the foresight to see that man can individually govern himself by being moral and responsible.
I have watched the core of this country being attacked by those who have no respect for such things as freedom, morality, truth, and justice. These individuals do not realize the darkness that drives them to oppose and rage against what made this nation distinct causes them to appear as dumb sheep, ignorant and oblivious to the destruction that awaits them. Clearly, what they are advocating will not only prove to be dark to them, but it will devour them in the end.
As I have studied the history of our nation, I realized that each generation had to be conditioned to embrace the lie of each age. Sadly, the lie has been repackaged to hide the history and destruction of it. The great lie is Communism. Communism is not only a type of government, but it is a religion of Satan. Regardless of what many have advocated, it is not dead but is the beast, the monster that is being methodically raised up behind different guises such as Socialism and Progressivism. Communism uses the doors of evolution, humanism, and liberalism, where all moral accountability is thrown aside to create a moral crisis in order to usher in Political Correctness that stands for nothing as a means to silence all absolutes as far as God, morality, and justice are concerned.
Sadly today, the generation that will soon take the reins of this nation had been indoctrinated to buy the lie of Communism by our school system, they have been conditioned by liberal Hollywood to believe this type of wicked government is the solution to what ails society, and they either have been rendered into activists that will bring about their will through violence, or into “cupcakes” that are reduced to crumbs when challenged by the teeth of reality, or who melt into a puddle of hopelessness when the heat becomes uncomfortable.
As I consider the courage of our forefathers, I am so thankful they cannot see our country now. Their hard-fought battles to provide a lasting government that would be as moral, just, and excellent as its people has been rendered into mockery by the corruption and contempt of leaders who miserably failed to be the necessary salt to ensure and maintain the Republic. As Benjamin Franklin answered a woman who asked him what kind of government had been handed to the people, he told her a republic; that is, if the people could keep it as a republic. Clearly, there are many forces against such a government because it represents something that requires its people to be moral, its leaders honest, its judges just, and it business dealings fair.
America still stands as a sovereign nation, even though it is staggering from the cancer of corruption that is now rooted and growing in our government institutions. Such cancer must be cut out, but some fear it might take another revolution.
To me it will take a revolution: not a physical revolution but a spiritual revolution. The true church must repent of all selfish, worldly practices, and come out and be separate from the world in order to stand distinct and bring a contrast. Leaders need to either repent of wicked agendas, or the lack of true character to stand against the wicked tide, or repent of their pursuit of greed for power and money as they sell the soul of this nation to the globalist world planners. Keep in mind, these planners must rid the world of much of the population so that they can control it with an iron fist. Everyone will come into subjection to their tyranny for the purpose of serving them.
The Bible tells us that God set the boundaries for people and nations (Exodus 23:31; Acts 17:26; Deuteronomy 32:8; Nehemiah 9:22). There are various reasons for this, but the main one is that Satan has been actively trying to bring the whole world under his rule. The Tower of Babel and ideologies such as Nazism and Communism are His tools to do it. The Bible is clear about the mystery of iniquity working within governments and this world to bring about this one-world government, but in the end Satan will not succeed in doing it. The real King of kings will come back, and the meek, not the wicked, will inherit the earth. We are told that when Jesus does come back, these wicked leaders will cry out for the rocks to fall on them; meanwhile God laughs at their attempts because they have already lost the war (Genesis 11:1-9; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 6:15-17).
We hear about separation of church and state which is not part of our Constitution but is Russia’s. The principle behind any separation of church and state in America is for the sake of the church and not the state. The government cannot interfere in a person’s personal worship or preference. A person has a right to speak his or her heart and mind without fear of being silenced because those in power may not like it. I must point out that you can’t freely worship unless you have the freedom of speech to do so openly and publicly.
Today the freedom to worship and express convictions is being threatened by the Communist (Socialist, Progressive) movement in this country. The insane practice of Political Correctness is a Communist ploy with the main goal to silence the absolutes of a society as to truth, morality, and justice. The picture may look bleak for this nation, but as a Christian my future is not bleak. I am aware this nation needs to come back to a place of moral goodness, reason, and sanity but I believe there are many people waking up to these wicked forces. I do not believe that as yet these forces represent a majority. Granted, they have the platforms to make it appear as if they are in the majority but they are not.
The question is what must we, as a majority of the people do because we don’t have the platform that the wicked enjoy? We may not have a visible platform but we do have a voice by way of voting for someone who will at least stand for the freedom to worship as one chooses. This is the real key to all true freedom. Freedom is not about a person doing as he or she chooses because everyone has different moral standards, but it is the freedom to worship as one’s conscience dictates and not be afraid of persecution when there are disagreements. I want to point out we cannot stand against a matter unless we are willing to take a stand for what we believe is right and stand with those who closely represent our concerns.
Besides taking a stand in the voting booth, we need to intercede for this country. To intercede, we must become identified with the sins of this nation as Daniel did in Daniel 9. In a sense, we must own them as a priest and intercessor if we are to have any authority in heaven. Abortions, the onslaught of immoral attacks on the family that is instituted by God, pornography, drugs, and the attraction to the demonic are just a few examples of the sins that are tearing apart the very fiber of this country, dulling people down to what is moral, right, and holy.
Once we stand up in the voting booth and stand in the gap for the country, we need to continue to stand, while seeking God’s providence for this nation. We need to come back to the vision our founding fathers had for this nation. We must ask for wisdom to walk through the vicious affronts taking place against the principles of the Constitution and the fundamental rights of freedom guaranteed to the citizens of America.
The next thing we need to do is ask the Lord for the foresight to safeguard the principles and laws that have made this country a shining refuge to others. It often amazes me that those seeking refuge in this country want to oppose its laws and fundamentally change it, but to what? In the past people came to America to be Americans, but now people come to America to change it to fit their culture, religious preferences, causes, and wicked ideologies—to make Americans bend, bow, serve, support, and adjust to them, ultimately oppressing the citizens and creating the same environment that they left behind.
Finally, we need to understand that it is God who blesses and sets people up in leadership, and He alone deserves our worship and our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. America still stands and exists because God has had mercy on this nation while extending tremendous grace towards His people.
We are told that being thankful is part of the will of God (1 Thessalonians 5:18). As His people we need to take this Thanksgiving celebration, line up to His will and truly give thanks for His many blessings, especially for the freedom to still openly worship Him. We need to do it in a state of humility, a spirit of meekness, and with sobriety, while keeping in mind that the freedom we now enjoy came with a high price and is being threatened by various factions that have an agenda contrary to the vision our forefathers had for this nation. We need to ask the Lord to have mercy on this nation and then avail ourselves to become His vessels and instruments in the great harvest field of the world.