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"Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’" (Matthew 25:30)
What we choose has eternal consequences.
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live, and that you may love the LORD your God, obey Him, and hold fast to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers...." (Deuteronomy 30:19 - 20)
What we choose affects our earthly experience, our families, and our country.
LESSONS FROM GIDEON
"Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many people for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’" (Judges 7:2)
If all the secular political 'prolife' groups came on board, they would praise themselves for their cleverness, efforts, and numbers. If God moves through His people, God gets all the glory. He's waiting on us to be His hands and feet. He's promised us "the gates of hell shall not prevail."
LESSONS FROM ELIJAH
"Then Elijah approached all the people and said, 'How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.' But the people did not answer a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets." (1 Kings 18:21-22) God said, "Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:18)
Why is it when you stand for what is right you often feel alone? There are so many lessons from Elijah's life, but one I am struck with in the moment is when we are tested - whether we will obey God or blend in with the culture - it's a test where we cannot cheat. There's no one else's paper to copy. We have the open book textbook of Scripture, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the choice of our affection. Elijah slayed all four hundred and fifty prophets of baal that day. He even taunted them, first. But far from being alone, there were thousands who hadn't strayed. Elijah was just the loud one on the mountain calling fire down from heaven and swinging the sword. I don't think the prophets of baal liked him very much. In their company, he felt alone. But in the larger picture, he was very much surrounded.
LESSONS FROM DAVID
"And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:47)
We all know the story of David and Goliath. The seasoned army of Saul only felt confident in groups, not confident to fight the giant alone, and they cowered together afraid of one giant they could have easily taken. Then comes David, who hadn't been a warrior, he only had faith. Accused by his brothers of ill-intent and underestimated by the Goliath of a man in front of him, yet, God had equipped David with the boot camp of lions and bears. I don't personally know anyone who has physically wrestled one of those and won. David was prepared to have the faith to see the giant fall by the same prayer and faith David had exercised taking down lions and bears when no one was watching.
LESSONS FROM NEHEMIAH
"But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing?
So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success."
"Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?"
"...So we rebuilt the wall until all of it was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
"... Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” (Nehemiah 1-4)
Every God-ordained project has its Sanballats and Tobias' ridiculing and trying to demoralize the workers and hinder the work. Some of what the people's opponents said was true. Of course, the workers weren't going to finish in a day. The work was great. And they couldn't do it by themselves. They needed God. They also didn't pray and do nothing. Every family took a piece of that wall side-by-side. They weren't all doing the same thing, saying the same thing, or working in the same place or in the same way. They weren't overseeing how someone else was doing it. They had a mind to work. And they had the same goal - to complete the wall.
And they did.
LESSONS FROM MOSES
"But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward." (Exodus 14:14-15)
When the Israelites started looking back, God told them to "go forward". There was a sea in front of them and an army behind them. Going forward didn't even look possible. Have you ever been in a place in your life where you felt in a seemingly impossible situation where you couldn't even see a way to go forward, and the only way you weren't going to be caught in the middle was if God showed up? I have. I've found that's typically when we experience God in ways we never could have imagined. Sometimes young expectant mothers don't see a way out. That's why we need to walk alongside them and help them find faith.
LESSONS FROM GOD
"When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations you are entering to dispossess, and you drive them out and live in their land, be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.” You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it." (Deuteronomy 12:30-32)
The founders of this country found themselves in impossible situations where they needed God to show up. And we have inherited the land they appealed to God for. And we are caught in a place where we realize a human is not going to save us. And we realize repentance is all the hope we have. We have done what other nations have done and the blood of our little ones cries from the ground, has polluted our land, and affected the spiritual climate of our state.
LESSONS FROM CHRIST
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Whether you see the abortion industry as a giant, as worshippers of baal, as enemies where we need to build a wall of protection around women and children to protect them ... God calls a David, a Gideon, a Nehemiah, an Elijah, a Deborah, a Paul .... I think we can relate to each of these fallible men and women of faith because that is what God is calling each of us to be. God is calling us to face the giant, take down the high places, raise up the wall around His people, obey Him to have the moral strength to do what He's called us to do, draw closer into Him and realize He is our life and our salvation. We gain faith by reading about these heroes of faith. And our ultimate example is the perfect Son of God who sacrificed Himself for each of us. Can you see yourself in those places? Will you stand, even if you feel alone? Will you leave the seasoned warriors cowering and take on a goliath in your town? Will you work side-by-side and have a mind to work? God has been faithful to show up where people are depending on Him and acting in faith. And someday, we will be in heaven standing before Him. Our faith will get us there. Will you pass the test?
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