Our country is headed in a direction never before seen in our history. We went from a world leader, militarily and economically, to the laughingstock of the world. The leaders of the world no longer trust us to do the right thing. Our enemies see us as weak and are exploiting that weakness. We need to get back to basics. We need to get back to God.

Proverbs 28:1-7

¹The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

² For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.

For a government or society to endure, it needs wise, informed leaders, and these are hard to find. It is easy to find leaders who go along with “transgression” or moral decay, but a decadent nation cannot long survive.

Each person’s selfishness quickly affects others. A selfish employee who steals from his company ruins his productivity. A selfish driver who drinks before taking the wheel makes the state highways unsafe. The selfish spouse who has an adulterous affair often breaks up several families. When people live for themselves with little concern how their actions affect others, the resulting moral rot contaminates the entire nation. Are you part of the problem or the solution?

 ³ A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food. ⁴ They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them. ⁵ Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the Lord understand all things.

Because judgment (justice) is part of God’s character, a person who follows God treats others with justice. The beginning of justice is concerned for what is happening to others. A Christian cannot be indifferent to human suffering because God isn’t. And we certainly must not contribute to human suffering through selfish business practices or unfair government policies. Be sure you are more concerned for justice than for the bottom line.

⁶ Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

This proverb  balance their words on poor and rich people; they do not assume that godliness leads to wealth or that wealthy people are necessarily godly. As this proverb points out, sometimes we must choose between doing good and getting rich.

Charles Stanley said, no amount of money can make a vile person honorable, and no level of poverty can take the honor away from a person of integrity; and yet we are seeing government officials trying to buy there way into our hearts. We see national leaders using other people’s money to advance their agenda. And who is suffering? The “people of poverty,” the righteous living folks.

⁷ Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.

Whoso keepeth the law displays a concern for the glory of God and will not lose his reward. Such a person will not be a companion of riotous men who pursue a decadent lifestyle without regard for God. Separation from the ungodly is the ageless responsibility of the righteous. This is just what we are witnessing today. We as Christians have a duty to stand up to the riotous men that are trying to take away our freedom. Our God given freedom.

Romans 1:32

³² Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Although they rejected the knowledge of God, the people were not void of knowing. Their outrageous conduct was not due to total ignorance of what God required but rather due to self-will and rebellion. Have pleasure in them that do them points to a culture and pattern of attitude and action that glories not in God but in what is shameful. The extreme of sin is applauding, rather than regretting, the sins of others. Our leaders are showing such contempt for the “little people” and are leading us down the path of destruction, not only the ruin of our nation, the ruin of the world.

Edmund Burke (1729-97) an Irish statesman said: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”