Where in the Bible is there anything that has happened to a God-fearing nation?

Q: Our country doesn’t even resemble the America we once knew — the land of the free. Where in the Bible is there anything similar that has happened to a God-fearing nation? — G.F.

A: America has gone a long way down the wrong road by moving away from its spiritual heritage. This is not a new story. After ravaging the land of Israel, the Babylonian army had forced its captives to march toward a land of exile and a terrifying future. Depressed and forlorn, the Hebrews discarded their musical instruments. There was no song left in their hearts.

The Book of Psalms is frequently read for comfort. It’s the hymnbook of the Bible. We turn to it often because of the wide range of moods and experiences found there. Many psalms were produced during periods of national crises and personal hardship in the case of David, Israel’s greatest king. We delight in his successes — his youthful triumph over the Philistine giant Goliath, his rise from shepherd boy to monarch, and his victories over Israel’s foes. But David was also a man of unbearable sorrow. Unjustly accused of treason, he was forced to live for years as a fugitive. At one point in his reign, his own nation turned against him as one of his son’s attempted a coup. David knew personal suffering and national crises.

No one is exempt from the touch of tragedy: neither the Christian nor the non-Christian; neither the rich nor the poor; neither the leader nor the commoner. Crossing all racial, social, political, and economic barriers, suffering reaches out to unite mankind. But we can take refuge in Jesus Christ who gives hope to face each day, and His Word, the Bible, is filled with hope. Read it and believe it!

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

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