Have you ever known someone whose life appeared to be a series of unfortunate decisions with one calamity following another? Once a person starts down that road, things can go bad very quickly, eventually putting him into such a deep hole that only a miracle can extract him. Why does one person have wisdom to properly sort through life’s options and come up with a good path; while others lack good judgment?

Wisdom is one of life’s great treasures. It gives us the ability to foresee the consequences of our actions, sort through options, and make good life choices, which produces a higher quality of life. Foolishness is wisdom’s opposite. A foolish person habitually opts for destructive and sinful life paths.

Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. 14  For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. 15  Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. 16  She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. 17  She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. 18  Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly. Proverbs 3:13-18 (NLT)  

A  Nation Under Judgment

Wisdom is part of God’s character. If a person rejects God, he or she rejects wisdom. When a nation rejects God and his wisdom, it will reap the consequences of its foolishness.

The First Chapter of Paul’s Letter to the Romans explains how this drama plays out. God’s wrath is revealed to all who suppress the truth about God. (Romans 1:18-23) Paul argues that creation plainly reveals the greatness and character of God. Therefore, those who reject this clear revelation and refuse to honor God or be thankful are given over to what Paul calls “futile thinking” and “darkened hearts.” The result is that those under such judgment can no longer operate with wisdom, which inexorably propels them down destructive paths of their own choosing.

In other words, those who reject God bring upon themselves their own judgment.

People imagine that they can have their cake and eat it, too. They believe they can operate with wisdom and judgment while at the same time living independently from God, but this is not possible. Once we reject the source of wisdom, we quickly descend into foolishness and reap the destruction that comes from making increasingly poor judgments and choices. As Paul summarizes: “Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:22)

Here are some clear signs of people under God’s judgment.

• People give themselves over to lust and perversion. (Romans 1:24-27) Hollywood presents a world of gratuitous sex without consequences, which is a pure fabrication. There is no such thing. We always reap what we sow. (Galatians 6:7) Our nation’s embrace of pornography and other forms of sexual perversion is a dance with the devil, who is out to steal, kill, and destroy.
• People reject and despise authority. Sin is basically a rebellion against God’s rule. Those who reject God’s rule find it easy to despise, belittle, and reject human authority, too. In the Bible, God always judged those who rail and rebel against his delegated authority. Stay tuned. You will see that play out before your eyes.
• Leaders embrace hidden wickedness. The prophets of old called out the hidden wickedness practiced by Israel’s leaders. Today a massive uncovering of hidden wickedness among top echelons of our national leadership is being exposed.
• Division. Jesus warned that a kingdom divided against itself will not stand. Our nation is extremely divided and vulnerable.
• Violence. When a people becomes lawless, violence increases.

Conclusion

The United States is clearly under God’s judgment. We do not yet know what else God may pour out on a nation that has had every advantage and such a rich heritage handed to it only to turn its back on God. We can only hope for mercy for the sake of the multitude of citizens who still love and worship God.

So what can we do?

• Repent. Those of us who love God and his truth must acknowledge our own sinfulness and constantly remind ourselves that, apart from God’s mercy and grace, we would be doing the same things as those who do not serve God. We can also acknowledge and ask forgiveness for the sins of our leaders and our nation, as did many of God’s people in the past.

America’s hope is bound to the prospect of millions of its people turning their lives over to the Lord Jesus and following his teachings.

In order to do our part to make that happen, we can:

• Pray for God’s mercy upon our nation.
• We should pray for others to repent. Repentance is the doorway into God’s blessings. We should pray for God to pour out a gift of repentance upon our leaders and people, enabling us to turn away from sin.
• Share the Gospel in the hope that the Spirit of God will open the hearts of our hearers and bring them to repentance and faith.
• Dedicate ourselves to God and his mission. The time is short. The time is over for pursuing the “American Dream” and selfish lifestyles. Instead, let’s pursue God and his kingdom.The kingdom of God will be the only thing left standing after judgment is poured out on the earth.

Jesus is coming back. Let’s spend what time we have left making the wise choice to serve him with all our hearts! Let’s dedicate ourselves to obeying the Great Commission!