"Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God... The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them." (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 13-14)The greatness of a nation is not determined solely by the quality and composition of its government, laws, institutions, or history. While these things are important, they alone are not what exalts a nation. A nation's greatness, prosperity, longevity, and position in the world is determined primary by the character of its people. When God created the nation Israel He gave it everything it needed to succeed. However, ultimately their success as a nation would be determined by how the people lived; especially in direct relation to their God and to each other.
Often times we look to our government for solutions to the problems facing our nation. We expect "them" to step in and solve our problems and to guarantee our present and future prosperity. In our economy, security, and basic needs we look to our government as our savior. However, far too often what we really need is not more or better government but a revival of citizenship amongst our people. We need a fresh awakening to our individual responsibilities as they relate to our fellow citizens and especially as they relate to our God.
No nation, no matter how great and perfect its government, can prosper long when its citizens live a life style that is secular and separated from God. Great nations are built upon great people, and great people exalt great nations.
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." (Proverbs 14:34)David Robison
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