In the midst of the turmoil in our nation, I’ve grown to more fully appreciate our country’s citizens. Strangers all, we are together in the current troubles, and people are showing a fascinating variety of responses: from expressing indignation to being nonplussed to an amusing ability of humor and grace. And to my delight, many are coming to or rediscovering their faith. Some of us for whom faith is long familiar, are, rightly so, getting a remedial lesson in trust.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We can look back on life and recall some times when changes that seemed big – were big, actually – threatened to overwhelm us like rough waves on the deck of a tossing ship. And we worried and even whined to You. And You scolded us for whining, but we didn’t stop much. Sorry about that. Working on it. But looking back, those changes didn’t wash us out to sea. They just made things slippery for awhile and made our legs a little stronger. Not all, but some of those times, we even discovered how beautiful change can be.

And here we are again. Praying the same thing over and over and asking for things we don’t have the wisdom to ask for and worrying ourselves sick. We come boldly to Your throne and we believe that those things that are righteous in Your sight are good to request. We do, but with worrying hearts. But You remind us we are strong, and where we falter, You’re right there to catch us. You call us higher.

So we ask – no, we declare – that during this time of great shaking in our nation and in the world that we will not be driven by the wind and tossed; asking for one thing, then changing our minds and asking for another; then throwing up our hands and repeating “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” like a mantra. We will remember Your might and Your power and Your good purposes. We will remember the big and small ways You’ve kept us standing. And stand we will. WE WILL TRUST.

In Jesus Name

Amen

Photo: Amber Waterman

Decent people care if someone has suffered a wrong. We agree that wrong and right, while maybe not as distinguishable as night and day in every situation, are clearly two different things. We desire resolution and restoration of relationships.

God knows this, of course. For those who accept Jesus as their Savior, our wrongs are washed away. But as we make our way in this world, He’s also given us a pattern to keep us from careless assessment of wrong.

The first five books of the Bible, the books of law, provide some direction. Leviticus, for instance, addresses something that confuses some Christians of late. In chapter 24 we find: “’Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death. Anyone who takes the life of someone’s animal must make restitution—life for life. Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury. Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a human being is to be put to death. You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the Lord your God.’” 

God lays it out. Justice requires punishment and/or restitution. But He cautions us to punish only as far as the harm that was done. If someone takes out your eye, their eye is the price of that, no more, no less. So when we get confused about who should pay back what for a wrong done, we must remember that in essence God said, Go ahead. But don’t do something to someone who didn’t do it to you; or you, yourself, become the criminal. Don’t go beyond what was specifically done to specifically you, or you’ve gone too far.

Father,

When we face judgment, we’d rather have You be our judge than anyone else. Your judgments are right and pure and merciful. You know our back story and you see our intent. In our guilt, we feel safer with You than anyone else. And though it’s a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God, we’d still rather be there than anywhere else.

We are distressed with the trouble around us. Some want to take justice one step farther than the wrong committed. But You caution us to have equal scales. Help us to be like You, to measure with equal weights.

Jesus, You forgave those who killed you and You forgive us. We can do that, even if we find ourselves doing it over and over again. We can do that, because You do it for us far beyond description.

But when punishment is best meted out in order to discourage lawlessness, give us courage, discipline, and wisdom to match the harm done, but not go beyond nor make excuse and leave the guilty unpunished, therein allowing lawlessness to continue. Crush the evil belief of handing judgment to those who did not harm simply because of skin color or status or withholding judgment for the same reasons.

And forgive our nation for the evil of calling justice by any other name but Yours, for You are the lawgiver and You are the judge; and misdirecting righteousness into social this and social that leaves us with misplaced hurt, misguided hearts, and a misdirected understanding of Your character. And we love Who You are!

In Jesus Name,

Amen

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We don’t like that David slept with Bathsheba or that Abraham had a child with his wife’s servant or that Zaccheus stole tax money. We cringe thinking of Rahab’s means of making money or of Jonah’s running from God’s instruction or of Peter denying being friends with Jesus while Jesus stood trial. And we’re disgusted with language we see on social media or the apostasy that has infiltrated some churches or the cancerous secrets entwined among those in power.

But we know this: God would rather transform than destroy.

Our Dear Heavenly Father,

We look around us at our nation and at ourselves. Things have become far worse than we realized. When we begin to see even part of what You see, we’re appalled at what our nation has become.

But You, Oh Lord are righteous and You, Oh Lord are merciful. You see how things are with a clarity we can only begin to touch. But You also see how You intend for things to be and what our nation was first founded to be.

You are the God of creation, the God of the nation of Israel and the God who led our founders to birth the United States of America. You led them, Father, to use Your Word as a pattern out of which to cut the cloth of this nation.

We know what it is to be transformed, because You move in our lives each day to guide and correct. We wouldn’t want to be what we know we would be without Your direction. We’re desperate for it.

If anyone, no matter their past, is willing to be transformed, we ask You to transform them into what You first intended for them to be – with all of their gifts and loveliness. We ask that their hearts be pricked and softened to receive Your Word and Your Spirit. But, Father, if they keep their hearts of stone and a rebellious spirit, we call on You to send Your angels to destroy them so their cancer will not spread.

And we are thinking of our forefathers – the people who instituted our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. We join our voices with theirs – whose prayers You heard then and can still hear now – to ask for Your great blessing on our land, for the people here to honor You in all things, for a desire for this nation to be a shining light and help to other nations.

We want to export the gospel instead of evil in any of its forms. We want to send light into the darkness some other nation experiences, to send healing when needed, to be an instrument of Your peace to nations longing for it. We want to drink from the river that heals the nations. We want to be an extension of Your mercy, Your grace, and Your righteousness.

We want to be one nation made of people from many nations Under God, a nation who claims You as her King, a nation who hears Your voice and carries out Your heart. Please transform us now. Transform every part of us we humbly ask.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Image: Tinthia Clemant from Pexels