It's a Spiritual Stimulus that We Need

Hosea 4:1b-3: "The LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: 'There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.'"

There is no doubt that the global economy has been struggling over the past decade. Sustained market declines, failed corporations, increased unemployment, and mortgage foreclosures are mere symptoms of a deeper crisis that prevails in our nation. Whereas the government pumps money into the economy through its stimulus packages, these measures will never remedy our crisis; rather, it only sustains the system a little longer. Much like life support . . . it is not the cure!

From the above cited Biblical passage, we find that the LORD had removed His hand of blessing upon the Israelites for their perpetual rebellion against His Sovereign reign. Whereas God had promised that Israel would thrive as a nation if they only would follow Him as their Lord (see Deuteronomy 28:1-14), the Israelites of Hosea's day stubbornly refused to submit to God and His decrees. They had determined to live their own lives the way that they saw fit. They would not refuse to indulge in anything that their heart desired; and they shunned the Lord, daring Him to do anything about it. Rather than loving God, they loved themselves first. They cursed God and His decrees. They found that lying was expedient if it promoted their agendas. They were willing to take from others what they coveted . . . whether property, spouses, or even life itself. In effect, these people had made themselves into their own gods and sought to assert their own lordship over the One True God.

Of course, we see from this historical account the inevitable outcome. Due to their cosmic treason against the Lord, He in turn removed His hand of blessing from them. Everything in creation suffered because of the obstinacy of these wicked people. Their only hope would be repentance and surrender to the Lord.

Oh how we see similar tendencies within our own nation. People today are living very similar to the lifestyles of the Israelites 2800 years earlier. Since we know that God does not change (see James 1:17), we would do well to learn from these Israelites as to what we should not be doing if we desire God's blessings upon our nation. Rather than waiting for the debt-laden stimulus money from the government to rescue our abysmal economic circumstances, we should be on our knees asking God's forgiveness.

Sadly, if history repeats itself, then we will find our future to be rather bleak. Israel would not respond to the warnings of God through His prophets; therefore, the Lord brought a conquering nation (the Assyrians) to devastate the land of Israel in 722 B.C. It would take this level of punitive judgment from the Lord to get the Israelites' attention, and given our nation's similar ways of debauchery and rebellion, we should not expect anything less. God's extension of favor is with us now, so let us as a nation respond with repentance and obedience. This is the spiritual stimulus what will bring God's favor upon the land.

You Can't Claim Ignorance When Sinning

Galatians 5:19-21: "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

It seems that in our culture today, there are many who want to claim ignorance in matters of sinful behavior, or they will say that they could not help themselves while engaging in actions contrary to the will of God. One thing that we find in the above mentioned Scripture is that acts of the sinful nature are obvious. For the one who would challenge this Biblical truth, I would ask, "Why is it then that people attempt to hide their sinful actions? . . . Why are they subversive when perpetrating these sins? Why do they often engage in this activity in the dark? [See Jesus' response to this issue in John 3:20]. The answer can be found in the simple fact that God has created all men with a conscience that can recognize evil; the Holy Spirit also actively brings conviction to those walking in darkness so that they might respond with repentance (i.e. a turning from wickedness to obedience to the Lord). Thus, people cannot claim ignorance as an excuse to indulge their debased passions. They are guilty before the Lord and they know it.

Sadly, there are those who will perpetuate such wickedness to the point that their consciences are seared from the Lord's convicting Word of Truth. These are the people who brazenly celebrate their debauchery, though they never forget that such behavior is wrong and contrary to the expressed will of God. These are the people described in Job 15:25-26 who "shake their fist at God and vaunt themselves against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him . . ." Later in this chapter God decrees that such a person will not "escape the darkness . . . the breath of God's mouth will carry him away." God will not hold such a man guiltless for his treasonous behavior against His Lordship!

So, how should we respond to the Scripture cited above? We need to ever be conscious of any thoughts or behaviors that are contrary to God's decrees as expressed in His Holy Word. We need to be surrendered to the Lord and receptive to His word of admonishment when we engage in sin, and we must truly repent from such behavior. God will respond with forgiveness, and we will be blessed by finding His favior.

Let us not fall prey to the fallacious worldly notions that sin is beyond our awareness or ability to control. Let us respond to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit with contrition, confession, and repentance. By this, we bring glory to the One True Lord, which is our purpose in life!