Daily Devotions
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. Proverbs 14:34
Every May Americans observe Memorial Day, a time to reflect on the great blessings preserved for us by the sacrifice of those who fought and died in war. But the words of Proverbs suggest that our nation faces great peril: “Sin is a disgrace to any people.”
We often forget those who fought for freedom. We forget the principles on which our nation was founded. Most of all, we forget what God has done for us in the death of His Son. We often disobey authority, ignoring the Fourth Commandment, fostering rebellion in our homes, our church, our place of employment, and our government. We grumble and complain. We often commit the sin of noninvolvement and irresponsibility. We stand by while wholesale abortion continues. We let crime increase. We contribute to increased deficit spending. We ignore the poor, the homeless the handicapped, and the foreigners in our midst. Yes, our nation’s peril stems from rebellion against God.
The writer of Proverbs says, “Righteousness exalts a nation.” God provides a hope through His Son. We have been declared righteous by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through faith we receive full forgiveness for all our sins. We receive God’s power to live righteously as citizens of two kingdoms. As citizens of heaven, we live joyfully and productively as citizens of our country! Remembering God‘s mercy in Christ and His blessings on our land, we strive to obey legitimate authority and to involve ourselves responsibly in society. By God’s grace we face our nation’s peril – sin – and point to our nation’s hope – salvation through Jesus Christ.
PRAYER: O Lord God, help us to remove the disgrace of sin from our nation and look to you for our salvation through Jesus Christ. Amen.
(Devotions from “My Daily Devotion” by Dr. Stephen J. Carter, copyright 1988, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. For ordering information, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit www.cph.org.)