My God and My Country

Have We Been Found Wanting?

By R.P. Woitowitz Sr.

23 But hast lifted thyself up against the Lord of heaven, and they have brought the vessels of his House before thee, and thou and thy princes, thy wives and thy concubines have drunk wine in them, and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood and stone, which neither see, neither hear, nor understand: and the God in whose hand thy breath is and all thy ways, him hast thou not glorified. 24 Then was the palm of the hand sent from him, and hath written this writing. 25 And this is the writing that he hath written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing, MENE, God hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished it. 27 TEKEL, thou art weighed in the balance, and art found too light. 28 PERES, thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

The Book of Daniel Chapter 5:23-28

Brethren:

The above was spoken by Daniel to Belshazzar during a feast in which the fingers of a hand appeared and wrote on the wall the following: MENE, MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN.

A little over a year ago, this writer had posted several pleas to his countrymen to repent and return. Yet today, we're witness to so much anger, hatred, and violence in our nation. It has often been suggested by this writer that we've become a nation of "just me" type personalities. There is no love for our neighbors, and we've certainly have not demonstrated any true love and repentance towards our Creator.

Over the last few days, we've read of vast areas of forest land being devastated by fire. A major hurricane hit our nation, and it seems one more is going to make landfall in the coming week. Also, there have been reports (in my area in particular near the New Madrid Fault line) of minor earthquakes.

Friends, I am not one that would normally consider doom and gloom, but all of the above has caused me to wonder, have we been righteously judged and found wanting?

Consider then, the following Scripture.

From the Book of Lamentations by the Prophet Jeremiah

18 The Lord is righteous: for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

20 Behold, O Lord, how I am troubled: my bowels swell: mine heart is turned within me, for I am full of heaviness: the sword spoileth abroad, as death doeth at home.

Lamentations 1:18, 20

16 The crown of our head is fallen: woe now unto us, that we have sinned.

Lamentations 5:16

Also, in the Book of Jeremiah

16 And I will declare unto them my judgments touching all the wickedness of them that have forsaken me, and have burnt incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

Jeremiah 1:16

And finally, from the Prophet Isaiah

13 For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts.

14 Therefore will the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush in one day.

15 The ancient and the honorable man, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

16 For the leaders of the people cause them to err: and they that are led by them are devoured.

Isaiah 9:13-16

Honestly, I do not know, if this is our last chance or if we've passed that point, and our God has deemed us unfit to be in His service. I pray for the former and fear of the latter.