Psalms 80-82

Psalms 80-82 - Click here to read the passage.

God gave this incredibly stern warning to the children of Israel shortly after they escaped bondage in Egypt and crossed the the Red Sea. Because of the unbelievable miracles they witnessed in God's destruction of Egypt, He then warned them in Deuteronomy 28:45-48 what would happen if they would decide to stop obeying Him and His commandments,  

"If you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and to obey the commands and decrees he has given you, all these curses will pursue and overtake you until you are destroyed. ⁴⁶ These horrors will serve as a sign and warning among you and your descendants forever. ⁴⁷ If you do not serve the Lord your God with joy and enthusiasm for the abundant benefits you have received, ⁴⁸ you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you. You will be left hungry, thirsty, naked, and lacking in everything. The Lord will put an iron yoke on your neck, oppressing you harshly until he has destroyed you."

In Psalms 80-81, David is agonizingly reflecting on how bad things had become in Israel. He asks God some pretty stunning questions and makes some remarkable statements:

- How long will you be angry with our prayers?
- You have fed us with sorrow!
- We've cried bucketfuls!
- We're a joke and a scorn to our neighboring nations! 

I believe America is in the same boat! We've benefited from God's goodness since the founding of our nation a little more than 200 hundred years ago. Evil is on the rise. The anger and vitriol that encompasses our land is everywhere. Prayer has been stripped from our schools. The murder of millions of babies each year take place. Christianity is being attacked in our nation like never before.

Why? I believe it's the by-product of the carnality of believers. We want to cheer Jesus, but not fear Him. We know that God hates sin, but we do it anyway. We don't have time for God. No time for prayer, and certainly no time for the study of His word. In fact, many Christians no longer feel they need for a bible and that it, in fact, is outdated.

America, and the world are eroding into a spiral of satanic deception, where truth no longer matters.

Recently, in Congress, an independent third party shared the facts of the horrible situation on our southern border with illegal immigration. I was befuddled that Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, stood up and said, "I reject those facts." Facts people! She rejects facts. The desire for truth is no longer in the heart of most people. They don't want to hear the truth. Truth is relevant. Truth only matters if you believe it.

American and the world are slowly descending in chaos...just as predicted by the prophets concerning the last days.  

So, how do we reverse all of that?  Like David in these chapters, we need to ask God for a revival - where God's people turn back to him, we diligently seek His truth, proclaim His truth, ask for forgiveness, and ask Him to once again allow His face to shine upon our nation. Otherwise, we'll become a mockery to the world. In fact, that road has already begun the pavement process.

Any comments or thoughts? What else do you see out of these chapters?