It is encouraging to feel the optimism because of a Trump victory. I’m reminded of the scripture, “When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice.” It could simply be who I am surrounded by (most of my closer friends and acquaintances are of the more Republican type), but it seems like there is a general sense of relief, unity (for our times) and hope that the ship of America might not be completely lost at sea. However, I’d like to offer a thought or two – a reminder – of what really needs to happen in order for us to have biblical assurance of hope for our nation. 

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD” (Psalm 33:12). The cornerstone of genuine, lasting blessing is surrender to and exclusive loyalty to the One True God – the trinitarian Christian God (Father, Son and Spirit). This is true for individuals, families, states and nations. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” applies to nations as well. In order for us to have the deepest confidence of good, we must, as a nation, be surrendered to the Lordship of Christ. A Trump victory is a sweet reprieve, but we need more than a mere postponement of judgment to truly thrive, we need genuine generational hope. Proverbs 10:22, “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” God’s blessing follows believing hearts. “Lord, somehow, turn the collective conscience of America back to you, in repentance and faith in Christ.” We must be very on guard against putting too much hope in a single man – especially a man with a pretty checkered past and a shady present (at least as far as humility before God and a commitment to truly following God’s ways. I enthusiastically voted for Trump, but I confess boldly that he is definitely not our Savior and hope, in any way shape or form. Psalms 146:3-5, Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:” Trump will be here for 4 years only, then will be gone. We want a plan that will put us on track for the next 40 years, yea the next 400 years, much more like the foundation that our founding fathers were building on. Jeremiah 17:5-8, “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”

Secondly, we have to stop killing babies. One of the surest ways to provoke the wrath of God on yourself is to harm an innocent child. Luke 17:2, “It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.” God has made it clearly and forcibly known that he is an especially jealous protector of the fatherless and widows (those who are most vulnerable to attackers). There is no one in our nation as vulnerable as a human baby. Our leaders (from the lowest to the highest) must name abortion as nothing less than murder, and we must initiate and sign into law the strongest protections possible to preserve every human life from conception, and to appropriately punish those who try to harm them. Matthew 18:10, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” When we nurture and protect the little ones God has created, he will nurture and protect us, but if we continue to mutilate and annihilate them God will continue to do the same to us.

Thirdly, another red flag of a nation in decline is a public acceptance of homosexuality and perverted sex stuff. Romans 1 spells this out so clearly, as it seems that everyone is aware of nowadays. We must get back to the root, which is to be grateful to God for who He is and who he made us to be: Romans 1:21, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Everyone has problems and everyone has been hurt by others to varying degrees, but we have all been blessed by God to be uniquely and specially created by God and also to be born into a prosperous nation. Whoever you are -whether male or female, whatever color, ethnicity or social class – accept the fact that a good, All mighty, perfectly providential God designed and planted you right where you are. Be content with what species your are, let your roots go deep and become what he has designed you to be. Our leaders – in public and in law – must make it abundantly clear that there are only – and will forever only be – two genders, that sexual activity must only be between a man and a woman, and that activity must only be within the boundaries of covenanted, lifelong marriage. The more we tighten up the culture and legislation on this issue, the more confidence we will have that good will come our way. Psalms 128:1-6, “Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.” 

There are many other things we could talk about that are important to thriving (good financial stewardship, protecting our borders, striving for unity, weeding out corruption of all forms, not giving place to lies, etc.), but the ones I mentioned I believe are the really big ones. 

“Father, make your name to be hallowed in our land. May every heart confess his or her sins and sweetly cry out to Jesus for salvation. May every home, every neighborhood, every town, every county, and every state surrender to the authority of the Holy Bible. We don’t deserve it, but we appeal to your incomparable mercy and grace, and also the the prayers of our fathers in the past, who prayed for us that we might not stray from your ways. May it be in the soul of our nation, that, when we are blessed that we would not wax fat and kick against you, but be humble, generous stewards of your marvellous grace. Revive the churches and raise up preachers and prophets. Send your choice servants to the White House and to Washington in general. Whatever comes may we commit to joyfully praise you. Amen.”