Discernment: Interpreting the Times

“He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, A shower is coming.  And so it happens.  And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, There will be scorching heat, and it happens.  You hypocrites!  You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?’”  -Luke 12:54-57 (ESV).

The statement of Jesus in these verses is set in the midst of His discourse on how he came to bring division among men.  Scholars have interpreted this to mean that there will be major disagreement between believers in Jesus Christ, those who seek to follow Him and incorporate His principles and lifestyle into their living and those who do not believe Him.  On some of the major news channels even today there was discussion about differences in what the newscasters call “atheists” (nonbelivers) and Christians.  The calculations were based upon what reporters called “The Pew Report”—those who attend church services regularly in America and those who do not.  How accurate this report is we do not know, or if those who do not attend can be termed “atheists.”  But the statistics from this “Pew Report” show that at least 40% of adult Americans do not express any religious preference or attend an organized church.  Whether these statistics are correct or not, I do not know.  But one thing we can know assuredly is that there will be differences (divisions) between those who follow the Lord Christ and those who don’t. 

Perhaps Christ looked up and saw a cloud rising over the Sea of Galilee.  Or one would come from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea.  Both would indicate rain.  Likewise a wind blowing from the desert area of the south would bring scorching heat.  In those days long before Doppler radar to help forecast the weather, these signs of approaching changes would be noted with interest.  I can remember how my father often predicted the weather by signs he noted.  He would plan his work on the farm accordingly and try to get jobs done before severe weather ensued.  Jesus noted that his hearers were adept at interpreting natural signs for the weather, but the spiritual emptiness of their hypocrisy blinded them from understanding the “signs of the times.”  He followed by giving a parable of the importance of settling disagreements before being dragged into court.  “Why do you not judge for yourselves?” he asked (v. 57).  I think He would urge us today to discern the consequences by the signs of the times.

Discernment does not always come easily but results when we weigh “the signs of the times,” consider the good and the bad and the consequences of both.  We are living in what my parents would term “perilous times.”  The signs are evident on every hand that we have departed from the precepts of righteousness and the covenant relationship with God.  In this period of uniting in prayer for America, we need to be reminded daily of Jesus’ probing words:  “Why do you not judge for yourselves?”  Likewise, we need to heed seriously and sincerely the conditions and promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14:  “If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  We need to hear this strong appeal repeated until we are very much aware of its conditions and can sincerely meet them.  May we be among the faithful with spiritual discernment and determined action to do just that.

Prayer.  Lord, the statistics for America’s faithfulness to You are not good.  May we be among the faithful who turn in repentance and faith.  May we be discerning in our choices for leaders and stalwart in our stand for righteousness.  We pray that You will hear from heaven and heal our land.  Amen.

Hope for a Strong Foundation

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” –Psalm 127:1 (ESV).

This verse from Psalm 127, a wisdom psalm and also a psalm of ascents has been chosen for the prayer verse by a nation-wide “Unite in Prayer” concerted effort calling upon Americans to pray earnestly for forty days before our November 6 elections.  I think it would not be doing the verse an injustice to think of “house” and “city” in the verse as our nation.  “Unless the Lord builds the nation, those who build it labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the nation, the watchman stays awake in vain.”  It has been stated recently that America is no longer a Christian nation, that present-day citizens have left their “first love” and gone after other gods rather than the one true God who led our forefathers to establish a nation based upon justice and the principles of righteousness and the covenant code, much as Moses led the children of Israel to establish a godly nation.  The forty days of prayer are intended to call Americans back to the basics of depending on God and seeking His forgiveness and guidance.

The theme for “Unite in Prayer” is II Chronicles 7:14:  “”If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  There are four conditions God requires of His people before He will hear, forgive and heal.  These four conditions are to become humble, to pray, to seek His face and to turn from wicked ways.  Humility recognizes our need for strength beyond ourselves.  Just like the Psalmist states in 127:1, we cannot build the house alone.  Neither can we handle a nation and its problems, conduct government, and handle multiple needs without recognizing that there is One who supercedes all human wisdom and has already set in motion the principles for governing with justice and equality.  Prayer is the next step in meeting God’s requirements.  For too long as a nation we have operated on our own power to handle complex and intricate human and governmental problems.  It is time to confess our helplessness and to pray for guidance and direction.  Seeking God’s face will acknowledge that we have failed miserably and we are turning to Him for forgiveness and guidance.  To turn from our wicked ways will acknowledge that we’ve failed in human relationships in almost every area of society—in civil actions, in family relationships, in how we treat our fellowman, and in our falling away from spiritual values. If we can raise a national consciousness of our need for God and a turning to Him for forgiveness and help, then we have His promise that He will hear, forgive and heal our land.

The basic theme of Psalm 127 is that without the Lord’s blessing, all human toil is worthless.  May we join hearts, minds and spirits in an earnest and sincere seeking for God’s intervention in the affairs of our nation.  May we be able after prayer to discern how to cast our vote for those who will be willing to stand firm on godly principles.  And may we ourselves be faithful in praying and working toward the end that America can still be a blessing to those who call this dear land their own as well as to those in the world who look to America as a leader among nations to do what is righteous and just.  May we live by faith, trusting God for our future well-being as we seek to rebuild a nation according to His principles of justice and equality.