How God Relates to Nations
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. —Jeremiah 18:7-10 (ESV)
Maybe you’re accustomed to presenting the gospel to a non-believer by saying, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” That statement is wonderfully true for each person God has created, but it is also true for each nation God has created.
God has plans for nations, and the actions of the people in those nations has a direct effect on the way the Lord unfolds His plans. Jeremiah tells us that if a wicked nation’s populace turns to the Lord, like Nineveh did, God will bless that nation instead of punishing them. However, if a blessed nation’s people forsake Him, like Israel did before the exile, God will chastise that nation instead of blessing them.
We are fasting for a great Christian revival in America. Our intercession and expressions of humility may have a dramatic effect on the way that God relates to our nation. Our simple acts of devotion could possibly change the plight of millions of people and the course of world history.
Do you remember when Abraham asked God about His plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?
And the Lord said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake." … Then [Abraham] said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it." — Genesis 18:26, 32 (ESV)
This story reveals the persuasive power that we, as God’s people, have before God. Our conduct, our prayers, our fasting, our words, and our righteous presence hold sway in Heaven. God is constantly surveying the earth to see who is seeking Him in Christ and who is not. He is making judgments and adjusting those judgments as a result.
We may feel like 21 days of foregoing meals is a drop in the bucket compared to the spiritual needs of our country. But that’s not the way that God sees it. Our humility and our cries for help move Him to pity and change the destiny of millions in this great country.
It’s my pleasure to stand in Jesus’ name and on God’s word with you as we kneel before Him for revival in America.
Our God and Father, and King of the Nations, we are humbling ourselves before You and repenting for ourselves and this land in which You have placed us. We stand in the gap before You and our countrymen. Have mercy on us. Forgive us for all the ways we have suppressed Your truth. Our ways have been an affront to You. Forgive us, in Jesus’ name. Turn to us. Pour out Your Spirit on us in ways that we do not deserve. Lift up the name of Jesus in America. He is worthy to receive this nation’s praise. Save the lost. Fill Christians with the power to witness to Jesus. Stretch out Your hand and work in mighty ways in our midst. In the name of Christ Jesus we pray these things, amen.
Chuck Hetzler
Senior Associate, Christian Union Day and Night
Lead Pastor, Bethesda Grace Church
To sign up for the fast at anytime, visit https://www.dayandnight.org/fast.
