“Let’s Make our Country Great Again”
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“Let’s Make our Country Great Again”
Proverbs 16:18 King James Version (KJV)
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Once more the mottos and soundbites dominate the airwaves as a nation prepares to select a new leader, choose between philosophies and methods of achieving perceived greatness on the world stage.
Both philosophies tout a pride of greatness, both tout achievements and accomplishments both past and present. Both look at the current place and position vying for change of that position to what each perceives as better for a proud people who have differences of opinion wherein that pride should lie.
“Look how far we’ve come”, and, “Look how far we’ve fallen” both echo from the lips of both those philosophies, guided by men, without regard to true position and place of the people they would lead in the most important aspect possible, the opinion of God himself.
Both ask the blessing of God, loudly, though each in its own way denies that God could be responsible for any blessing given.
There is a “Greatness” sought by both.
This same “Greatness” is on the lips of all those subscribing to the ideas promoted by those ideologies and philosophies vying for their own affluence, influence and respectability within the community of men.
Neither of those philosophies hold with the necessity of humility, repentance of their own wrongdoings, past or present, or the need for a leader to be subservient to God instead of the ideology and philosophy being offered to those they would lead.
The pride of place, pride of accomplishment, pride of position blinds both their leadership and their followers to the reality of failure on a vast scale that may not be outweighed by any of those things they are so prideful of.
Nations are comprised of parts, as I have stated before, divisions such as states, counties, cities, communities, families and individual people within those families.
All those parts are affected by the choices made at each and every level within each and every nation without exception, without regard to creed, color, or position within that level.
The culmination of individual greed, becomes, eventually a national greed. The culmination of individual poverty becomes, eventually, national poverty.
The culmination of values held by individuals becomes values held by nations.
Failures of individuals become failures of nations.
This treatise is not intended as a political statement, is not to be construed as such favoring any philosophy or ideology, but is intended to shed light on the truth of any ideology or philosophy taken in place of the necessity to remember that “Greatness” is a blessing given by God, and not men, and comes with the price of humility and repentance.
Eventually, leaders will be selected, a path chosen and followed.
That path will be the pride of those having chosen it despite any and all failures, as history has dictated over and over.
The true blessings given, or withheld will not come from the philosophy or leader that is chosen, but will come only from God as decisions are made within the confines of HIS plan for this puny and prideful creature.
Blessings sought are true blessings only if and when they lie within the limits of the permanence of eternity, all other accomplishments, all other progress is futility and, as Solomon so eloquently cited, “Vanity”.
2 Corinthians 11:30-12:10King James Version (KJV)
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
12 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
His grace remains sufficient.
Pride remains a means of refusing that sufficiency.
If we are ever to “Make a nation Great again”, it must begin and end with the power of that grace, and will not occur without that power.
It will begin with the attainment of that grace at all levels of that nation, or end at its lowest level.
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Amen and Amen
The Wayfarer
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