1 Samuel 4:21-22 – “Then she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”  NKJV

The word Ichabod means “inglorious” or “there is no glory.”  When Israel rebelled against the Laws and Precepts of God, they experienced times of the “absence” of God’s Glory and the dire consequences that followed should be lessons never forgotten.  Sadly, they continued to forget after being restored and as in the wilderness, they had to repeat the same lessons over and over again. 

Are we any different today? In America, we have a strong heritage and history suggesting the Providence of God and as President George Washington declared “God’s Propitious Smile” was upon us.  We have made mistakes along the way and drifted from our moral and spiritual foundation.  Over the past few decades, we have seen an erosion of our foundational moral and spiritual moorings and allowed God to be kicked out of our schools and public institutions. 

We have transitioned from a moral society to an amoral one and in MANY ways immoral.  We have allowed our laws, elected officials, activist, and courts to police thought, speech and conduct to the point that, in too many instances, we call evil good and good evil allowing things societally that God calls abominations.

Today there seems to be a hesitancy in denouncing sin and major denominations, churches, and ministries are striving to be seen as tolerant avoiding anything deemed controversial and condemnatory.  Some have even reached a place in the doctrinal views they believe that there is no hell and that a loving God could not and would not allow anyone to go to such a place.  They seem to have forgotten that the Cross is a reminder of how vile sin is and the Divine Holiness of God would be destroyed were He to do anything but judge it. 

God’s love is so encompassing that He has provided a means of escape, a pathway into Life, and a Door to Salvation.  God is not willing, or it is not His desire that any should perish but if we reject His Grace, we cannot expect His Mercy.  If we trample the Blood of Jesus underfoot by denouncing Him, rejecting His Grace, and living in rebellion practicing abominable acts He must judge us.  I believe that it breaks God’s heart when we reject His love, mercy, and grace.  The Blood of Jesus satisfied God’s Divine Justice and that blood and only that blood which was untainted by sin can cover us and free us from the penalty of sin. 

In today’s America, we (collectively) continue to move farther and farther away from the fundamental principles of God’s Word and in so doing are almost taunting God.  How long will He be longsuffering?  How long before He writes “Ichabod” over the door of this land and turns the nation over to a reprobate mind in which people become a law to themselves and do what is right in their own eyes?  How Long Lord?  How Long?

I am deeply troubled over the state of my nation, the state of much of the organized church world, and the overriding societal mindset of today.  I believe that the target of our prayers should shift from the nation to the church, and we need to pray that revival comes to the church and when it does it will come to the land.

God bless you as you go through this day!