Make Prayer Great Again

Today is a day of hope for many as our new President, Donald
Trump, takes office.

Donald Trump was never supposed to become the president of
the United States. He was considered a clown, a blowhard and
an entertainer with no political expertise. He was opposed by
Republicans, Democrats, and the media. In fact, he was given
no chance of winning the presidency.

But against all odds, he went on to be victorious on November
8, 2016. When many of us went to bed on that evening, we
doubted he would be the next president. I know I was sleeping
soundly when my wife came in and told me that Mr. Trump
had won Wisconsin. As I was falling back to sleep, I thought
he might really win. On Wednesday morning, I learned that
his victory in Pennsylvania had put him over the top in the
electoral tally.

We might ask, “Why did Donald Trump win the presidency?”
It seems that Mr. Trump latched onto themes that resonated
with the American people. He promised to make America
great again. Why would people latch onto this promise?
Because many people feel that America has lost its greatness
and unless we turn from the path we are on national greatness
will be lost forever.

It is my hope that the new President, the Congress and the
Cabinet can make some progress toward restoring many of the
values that have made our country truly great for the last two
hundred years. Our greatness over that time has come about
because of God’s grace and mercy extended to our land.

Greatness can only be regained as we turn to the God of the
Bible. The prophet Joel spoke of the need for a return to God
and God’s mercy, “But even now," says the Lord, "repent
sincerely and return to me with fasting and weeping and
mourning. Let your broken heart show your sorrow; tearing
your clothes is not enough." Come back to the Lord your God.
He is kind and full of mercy; he is patient and keeps his
promise; he is always ready to forgive and not punish.” (Joel
2:12-13).

One of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, was not
renowned for being overly religious when he took office.
However, the magnitude of being president as the nation was
divided in Civil War drove President Lincoln to turn to God in
a way he had not done in his earlier life. I believe that if our
president and other leaders turn to God then we can turn things
around. But will our leaders and our nation humble
themselves before God and seek his wisdom in the years
ahead?

President Trump faces a divided nation similar in many ways
to the time before the Civil War. There was no reconciliation
between the aggrieved parties in 1860 and it seems to be a
most formidable challenge to heal the breaches that exist in
2017. Healing the breaches in the present day are especially
formidable because there no longer seems to be a fixed
standard of right and wrong. Most sadly, if decisions are made
that are in harmony with God and His word the outcome will
likely be outrage among many in our land.

In Paul’s time, the Roman Emperors reigned supreme and
during the last part of his ministry, Nero ruled. Nero was an
abominable ruler and yet Paul requested prayers for him in 1
Timothy 2:1-4: “Therefore I exhort first of all that
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be
made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that
we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and
reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God
our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the
knowledge of the truth.”

Paul gives us good instruction in regard to how we should
pray for the new president. Mr. Trump faces a formidable
challenge ahead of him. Not only should we pray for all men,
but we should pray that God would make it possible for us to
“lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and
reverence.”

We can be thankful this Sabbath day that we worship a God
who will be with us regardless of how things work out in the
political world.

Have a pleasant Sabbath,

Gary Smith

There Is A Way That Seems Right To A Man

As we look at the present world, we can see that it is filled with problems: hunger, ignorance, poverty, sickness, disease, hatred, violence, and war to name a few.

Everyday mankind struggles with these various problems, but men only seem to make limited, if any progress, with the myriad problems. Sadly, this is not a condition that is recent in origin. The problems we face trace all the way back to the first man and woman, Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve received clear instruction from God on how to live. God told them, “And the Lord God commanded the man saying, of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)

God gave man a choice. To walk humbly before God by eating of the tree of life, or to walk in a way contrary to God by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Regrettably, Adam and Eve chose what the book of Proverbs describes as the foolish path. They chose the way that seems right to a man (Proverbs 16:25), and the end result of that path is death.

Death is the ultimate consequence of choosing to live a life apart from God. In the meantime, what impact did the choice of Adam and Eve have? “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). In other words, Adam set the pattern of sin and all of his descendants have followed that same path.

Sadly, mankind is going to continue to follow the way that seems right in their own eyes, and the problems we face on this earth will not be resolved.

However, as the Sabbath approaches, we might consider that God in His mercy has opened our minds to see that there is a better way. It is not the way that seems right to a man, but it is the way that seems right to God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

One cannot gain knowledge of spiritual things if he begins at the wrong point, refusing to fear the Lord (i.e., to recognize God's character and respond by revering, trusting, worshiping, obeying, and serving Him).

The outcome of the fear of the Lord is described throughout the book of Proverbs, but the introductory verses give us a foretaste of what we can learn with the fear of the Lord as our foundation. “To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion — A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel” (Proverbs 1:2-5).

What a difference it will make once man learns that it is only through the fear of the Lord, and the application of God’s truths, that all these problems that plague mankind will be eradicated one by one.

Each Sabbath is a reminder that a world in which the “fear of the Lord” is foundational is sure to come.

Enjoy the Sabbath day,

Gary Smith