1 Samuel 17:45-46 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me.”

Here we have the secret to all of David’s victories, and he had a lot of them. It seems unlikely to us today that he would actually have said something like this in the battlefield, but war was much more personal in those days, and taunts and counter-taunts were very much expected. Psychological warfare, and all that. What David said is very important, and bears close examination. He acknowledged the Philistine’s superior weaponry, from a physical standpoint, but he then played his ace, so to speak, and invoked the Lord God of Hosts, whom the rest of the Israelites seemed to be in danger of forgetting. He was not claiming superior strength for himself personally, but he was saying that he was acting on behalf of the Creator of the universe, and nothing could stand against Him. In the past America has come close to acting like this, but in recent years they seem to be running the opposite direction. It is no wonder that America has lost face on the world stage, when so many people in authority are actively denying the One who has brought America so far. I would be the last to claim that America has ever been perfect, any more than David was perfect. However, America has indeed been a “shining city on a hill” because of the many within her who actively sought to live and operate on Biblical principles. When the foundation is discarded, what hope is there for the superstructure to stand?

I am certainly not the only person who is distressed by what has been happening in the US in recent years. The political scene is just the tip of the iceberg. America is the world’s biggest producer of pornography, among other things, and is leading the world in all sorts of degradation. Most church leaders chickened out after the 9/11 attack, failing to call the nation to genuine repentance and holiness. Some did so, but the response was at best temporary. We are in love with our creature comforts, and John was very clear that doesn’t work. (1 John 2:15-17) I have to plead guilty here myself, being very fond of things like computers and air conditioning. Those things are not bad in themselves, but when they take precedence over seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) they become idols, and they pollute my soul. As I see what is happening in the US I need to realize the part I have had in that, and repent personally and for the nation. America will never be 100% Christian, but if it is to recover, those who claim the Name of the Lord will have to think about what that means and start living accordingly.

Father there is no end to the flood of information coming from the US about the state it’s in, and I sometimes feel like despairing. Help me rise up like David, not ignoring my own weaknesses but looking beyond them to You, living, speaking, and acting as Your agent, so that the works of the devil may indeed be destroyed (1 John 3:8) and Your Name hallowed. Thank You. Hallelujah!