The Battle of 2014

Bible

“In the ancient world, a city without walls was helpless before it’s enemies… to have it’s walls complete was evidence of divine favor and meant that the inhabitants could carry on life with a measure of security.”

 HCSB Study Bible, Introduction to Nehemiah

In the modern world, very few cities look to walls of brick and mortar for their protection.  The security of a nation is more likely to be dependent on power and might than divine favor.

I am a natural-born citizen of the United States of America, and when I travel to other countries, I am reminded that our country is still rather young in scope.  The freedoms that we enjoy were and still are foreign to many in our world.

 It is evident that God has blessed our nation, but the abundance of this country can be  measured by far more than wealth and prosperity.

It’s a well-known fact that the birth of this nation was founded on religious freedom.

When I witness the price that was paid–the lives that have been lost in these battles for freedom, I am sobered.  While it is evident that war is sometimes necessary, it should also be evident that the result is always costly.  We must choose our battles carefully.

In reading the book of Nehemiah I am reminded that God is faithful to his redeemed people, but His holiness requires us to live differently than those who oppose Him.  He calls us to use the freedoms we enjoy as an opportunity to make a difference where He has placed us.

I didn’t choose to be born in the USA, but am grateful.  I never want to take this freedom for granted, nor do I want to assume that just because I enjoy religious freedom, it will always be that way.  In my lifetime, the shift from Judeo-Christian values has been dramatic.  The moral compass of our country has spun out of control and it seems clear to  me that the battle we are fighting today is, “against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” [Ephesians 6:12]

God’s timing is always perfect, and as I read Nehemiah, this verse jumped off the page.  I never want to forget the battle is the Lord’s and much more than just a fight for the freedoms that make us “comfortable”.  The desires, hopes and dreams I have for my children and grandchildren are so much more than political or economical.  The world around us can be falling apart, but if the foundation of our life is built around our faith in the one true God, we will stand.

–Vickie