How Long, Oh God, Will You Suffer?

“Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.” Acts 14:16

The Apostle Paul spoke these words after he left Iconium and went to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia. Of course, Paul was speaking of God and His suffering of all nations, which included Judea and Samaria. Although the Jewish people were chosen as the elect of God among all nations, there is no reason to exclude them from Paul’s statement. After all, the Jews also pursued their own way; this, despite the covenant of grace that God had made with the patriarchs. Their descendants subsequently walked; doing what was right in their own eyes. However, we should be mindful that what Paul implied in this passage was that those days have now passed; that is, God would no longer continue to suffer the iniquity of nations. However, the Gospel of Christ is an individual message of God’s love and mercy; calling out a new nation and body: Christ’s very own. After Pentecost and our Lord’s great commission to His disciples, all nations and peoples were put on notice of God’s immediate mercy and grace unto salvation; that is, Today, but we were also warned of a coming judgment. Thus, the latter days were heralded with both a promise of renewal, but also a coming judgment which would be manifest in wars and rumors of wars, pestilence, earthquakes and other horrific events. We should remember too that in the Book of Revelation, Jesus said to the people of the churches, ‘For those who have ears, let them hear.’ It’s not as if we weren’t warned to make sure that we kept the home fires burning in our hearts. Nonetheless….

Over the past several days I’ve written posts about my observations related to America. I did not intend to spend much time addressing our nation’s fall from grace and where we seem headed, but this morning, this passage struck home. Believe me, God’s longsuffering will bring glory to His patience and goodness. However, how quick men take advantage of His patience and suffering of their evil. Are we not told that if a man is not immediately punished, that they continue in sin believing that they can get away with it? Such was the suffering of God in the past. I just wonder whether America’s fall from grace is not the precursor to the fall of mankind, and the subsequent commencement of man’s eternal suffering, which shall extoll God’s justice. If we only understood how grievous our sin is to God! What an offense it is, children flaunting their sin; mocking God. Wouldn’t your patience wear ever so thin, if the child that you loved conducted himself in a manner to humiliate. Would you even have patience?

As a nation, have we sinned? Yes. Do we think our leaders over the past three, four hundred years were as good or less evil than the Kings of Judea and Samaria as recorded in the Books of Kings and Chronicles? Of course not. However, in sum, we were a light on the hill; once shining brightly; an instrument that God used to restrain evil; to help the widows and orphans. Where are we now? Where are we headed? Is there another nation that God is raising to fill the vacuum left in America’s departure, diving and sinking into the world’s darkness? I don’t see one.

What I see is a global warming to the Devil and his wiles, which Christ Jesus will bring to final closure.

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