Memorial Day - Weep Over Our Nation
Memorial Day is a day to remember and thank God for the men and women who died while sacrificially serving our nation while in military service. When we remember someone who has died, there is a mixture of emotions: celebration, gratitude, joy, sadness, grief, and regret. One of the best ways we can honor the deceased is by imitating the good we see in them.
Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
This Memorial Day we should honor those who died for our freedoms by weeping over the status of our nation today. This Memorial Day we should seek ways to sacrificially improve our nation for the better. This Memorial Day we need to refocus on the sacrificial death of Jesus and draw near to Him in heartfelt repentance. We find hope for our nation in His name alone.
Philippians 3:19 “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”
What troubles you about our nation today? Have you noticed that America has elevated many false “gods” over and above the One, True God? Here are some of the false “gods” our nation has been pursuing:
1) The god of Cultural Religion - Prioritizing external moralisms over an internal faith relationship with Jesus.
2) The god of Universalism - Disbelief in Hell, wishfully thinking that everyone goes to Heaven.
3) The god of Rationalism - Treasuring human wisdom while ignoring God’s Word in the Bible.
4) The god of Pluralism - There is no exclusive path to God, there are many ways to God.
5) The god of Relativism - You be you. The belief and practice that everyone can self-determine their own moral standards of goodness.
6) The god of Individualism - You only live once. Love yourself before God and others.
7) The god of Materialism - Find pleasure and identity in the accumulation and pleasure of stuff.
8) The god of Money -Thinking that finances and resources are the path to satisfaction.
9) The god of Success - Finding identity in one’s power and privilege over others.
10) The god of Entertainment - Filling our eyes and ears with worthless things on our screens.
11) The god of Family - Caring more for our relatives than God. Making a good thing a god thing.
12) The god of Insurance - Finding our safety and security in our policies over our Protector.
13) The god of Sports - Overvaluing the bodies and recreational opportunities God gives us.
14) The god of Health - Fearing death. Avoiding death at all costs.
15) The god of Death - Justifying murder through abortion and euthanasia (assisted suicide).
16) The god of Government - Caring more about our political party than Jesus. An attitude of entitlement and expectation.
17) The god of Sexual Pleasure - Whatever feels right its right. Fornication. Living together. LGTBQ+. Porn.
18) The god of our Bellies - Living for the next meal. Gluttony. Obesity.
19) The god of Vanity - Prioritizing physical external appearance above our spiritual inner beauty.
20) The god of Unforgiveness - Cancel culture. Bitterness. Hate.
21) The god of Racism - Thinking better of yourself than another because of your skin color.
22) The god of Addiction - Alcohol. Drugs. Abuse of painkillers and antidepressants.
23) The god of Over-working - Escapism. Neglect of family. Identity issues. Enslaved to debt.
24) The god of Under-working - Laziness reigns. Dependency accepted. Responsibility avoided.
John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’”
Our ultimate freedoms and favors as a nation only come through the hand of blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we take Him, His commands, and His blessings for granted, we move on a path destined for discipline, judgement, and wrath.
Weep over our nation. We are under God’s judgment. Our only hope is to focus on, trust in, pursue, and imitate the sacrificial death of Jesus for our freedom from Satan, sin, and this fallen world. Forgive us Lord. May we remember your death and live in honor of it this Memorial Day.