Every day of Lent, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
God did everything he could to help his chosen people flourish. When times were hard, they often turned to false gods. When times were good, they often forgot the Lord and enjoyed the rewards promised by the louder, more enticing gods of their pagan neighbors. In prosperity and in hardship alike, Israel proved to be a fickle nation.
And so God said of them:
This is the nation that does not listen
to the voice of the LORD, its God,
or take correction.
Faithfulness has disappeared;
the word itself is banished from their speech.
There has never been a moment in the history of any nation when it did not need to set things right with God once again. We are human, after all. We sin—both as individuals and as communities.
So, take time today to pray for our country. Pray that national leaders will listen to God before they speak or act.
And pray especially for unity, which feels so elusive in our own day. Remember the wisdom of Jesus, who warned us: “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid to waste” (Luke 11:17).