Shift

In Jeremiah 6, there is a sobering passage that can challenge us to consider actions that are rooted in
Scripture and reflect the heart of God. We can read:
16 Thus says the Lord: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'
17 Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.'

Think about it - the old paths, the place where the good way is.  While new ways of operating can be good, and we can rejoice in how God takes us into newness of life and action, we also have to remember the established ways of God, the one who never changes.  When we reject what God wants to do in our lives, we set out on a path that doesn't please Him, that is destructive for us individually, and can affect groups of people.  There are principles we find in the Word that can point us in the direction that God would intend.

+++++

Our nation is in great need of an infusion of Biblical wisdom and a sense of righteousness - of doing
what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Proverbs 14 states:
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, But what is in the heart of fools is made known.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.
35 The king's favor is toward a wise servant, But his wrath is against him who causes shame.

We are in a time of cultural upheaval, and there are deeply held principles that are being challenged and minimized, including values that are consistent with Biblical truth.  Todd Starnes of Fox News led off a recent column by saying:

A new survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News indicates a major shift in American values. The survey found that millennials are not as patriotic or as religious or as family oriented as Americans were 20 years ago.

Starnes quotes from Chad Day of the Wall Street Journal, who said: "The values that Americans say define the national character are changing, as younger generations rate patriotism, religion and having children as less important to them than did young people two decades ago..."

One example that Todd gave, "Nearly 80 percent of Americans ages 55 or older said patriotism is important to them, the survey found. However, only 42 percent of younger Americans valued patriotism."

When you read the story on the NBC News website, you see this alarming statistic regarding religion in the younger generation: "Just 30 percent of the younger group cite religion or belief in God as very important, while 67 percent of the older group does."  The "younger group" is defined as Millennials and Gen Z - between the ages of 18 and 38.  The "older group" is over 55.

And, this survey identified that people are angry.  It states:

The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that — despite Americans’ overall satisfaction with the state of the U.S. economy and their own personal finances — a majority say they are angry at the nation’s political and financial establishment, anxious about its economic future, and pessimistic about the country they’re leaving for the next generation.

Regarding this "anger," the article summarizing the survey states:

70 percent of Americans say they feel angry “because our political system seems to only be working for the insiders with money and power, like those on Wall Street or in Washington...

Democrats report being angrier than Republicans: "In 2015, 39 percent of Republicans and 44 percent of Democrats said a feeling of anger at the political establishment defined them “very well.” Now, it’s 29 percent of Republicans and 54 percent of Democrats — a 10-point swing for each party, in opposite directions."

But almost 7-in-10 Americans are "satisfied with their overall financial situation today." But, as the story points out...

...a majority — 56 percent — also say they feel “anxious and uncertain because the economy still feels rocky and unpredictable.” That’s down slightly from 61 percent in 2015.

You do have to wonder, though, how much that media outlets are stoking that anger.  And, that brings me to the first point: we may be concerned about the direction of our nation, but we have to guard against anger and frustration; rather, we can exhibit peace and dependence on Christ.  We have tools available in the Lord that can help us to navigate difficult times.

This survey also reminds us that money doesn't necessarily buy happiness.  Many are satisfied with the economy, but still are experiencing dissatisfaction.  We have to seek satisfaction in the right things.  The stuff doesn't produce satisfaction.

Finally, we can continue to reclaim a sense of our nation's founding values and principles.  As Robert Morgan was sharing on the radio show the other day, the Bible and its teachings have been influential on our nation's history and its founders.  Our history shows how imperfect men trusting in a perfect God, I believe, crafted not only a system of government, that some want to abolish; but greater than that, an ideal - that all are created equal and that we have the capability of enjoying liberty.