By Jim Schneider, Executive Director, VCY America
Chaos is impacting our nation in significant ways. Homicides and violent crime are escalating at an
alarming rate as calls grow louder from the vocal minority to “defund the police.” Any measure to keep
the peace is rebuffed and authority figures are scorned. In Portland, OR a police officer’s cap was
placed on a decapitated pig’s head, wrapped in an American flag and set ablaze. Also in Portland,
Bibles were set aflame as rioters rush toward anarchy. The evidence is overwhelming that man is doing
that which is right in his own eyes and desires to be accountable to no one but himself.
Political tug-of-war occurs over every piece of legislation in the state or the nation. The rhetoric
intensifies daily as the nation suffers for want of men and women of integrity. Politically speaking, our
nation is at a crossroads. Indeed, the November election is a critical one!
Money is being created out of thin air as we see both the deficit and the national debt setting new
records daily. Economic chaos stemming from the shut down has forced businesses to close and
individuals wonder from one day to the next whether they will have a job or be able to make the rent or
mortgage payment.
People are living in fear. Daily news reports and warnings are causing distress. Some are afraid to go
outside their own home for fear of contracting the virus. Others are wearing a mask in their house,
living all by themselves and no other people present as a means to avoid COVID-19. Warnings have
been posted for people not to wear these masks while sleeping. The shutdowns have yielded fear, panic,
isolationism, depression, substance abuse and sadly even suicide.
With so much of our society in chaos, it would seem that people would have a strong desire to turn to
God and to seek His divine intervention. However, the opposite is true.
It is shocking to see that even in this time of crisis, people’s engagement with the Bible is declining
dramatically. According to a report by the American Bible Society and the Barna Group, U.S. adults
who indicate they read the Bible daily declined from 14% to 9% between early 2019 and 2020. The
study also found that the number of people reading their Bible daily fell to fewer than one in 10. It
indicated that this is the lowest number on record for the 10 years of research conducted on the “State of
the Bible.” Even those who consider themselves to be Scripture-engaged dropped from 28% to 22.7%
between January and June of this year.
Yet, another study by the Barna Group discovered that one-third of people who declared themselves to
be regular churchgoers said they “did not watch services online and put church completely on pause
during the apex of the pandemic.” (christiannews.net)
We have truly forgotten God. While a crisis should cause us to turn to God, many instead are turning
from God. We say we are “self-sufficient.” “I can handle this.” “We’ll figure this out with our own
ingenuity.”
It’s imperative we learn from Scripture. During the time of the prophet Jeremiah, man took matters into
his own hands, trusting in himself and turning his back on God. Jeremiah pleaded with people to repent,
to turn to God, to stop their backsliding; but they would not listen. Jeremiah proclaimed a warning, “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his
might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he
understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and
righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
We are no different today than the individuals living during the time of Jeremiah. We continue to revel
in our wisdom, our might, and our riches. It is critical that we stop and learn that the answer to the
chaos in the world today is not man; it is God!
While the people trusted in their wisdom, compared to all the wise men, “there is none like God”
(Jeremiah 10:7), “they are altogether…foolish” (10:8) and we must be mindful that God “established
the world by His wisdom” (10:12). It is critical we trust in God’s wisdom, not man’s foolishness.
Just as the people during Jeremiah’s time gloried in their might, we find ourselves falling into the same
trap. Yet Jeremiah spoke of God’s might. There is “none like unto Thee, O LORD; thou art great, and
thy name is great in might.” (10:6) “He hath made the earth by His power,” (10:12), there is power
when God utters His voice (10:13) and “He is the former of all things” (10:16). Should not the creation
(us) be subject to the Creator (God)?
We are following in the footsteps of folly like the people during Jeremiah’s time who trusted their
riches. They had all kinds of riches, but they made false gods (10:9). These false gods would perish
(10:11), “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the
earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.” (10:10)
Judgment fell on those who trusted in their own wisdom, might and riches, and turned their back on
God. Are we so blinded to see that these things will fail to work for us today too? Are we so foolish that
we fail to recognize our hope, our trust and confidence must be in Him alone?
May we recognize that the nation is blessed whose God is the Lord. We must repent and turn to Him.
God is our only hope!
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)
