Isaiah 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
This passage of scripture teaches us the sacred truth that there is a direct link between righteousness and prosperity as it pertains to nations that choose to do good instead of evil. And the converse is true, for wherever rebellion, disobedience, and wickedness abounds, there we may be certain the the curse will be found. This truth is based on the fundamental law of sowing and reaping, which applies to the physical and spiritual realms, since God is the author of both. Furthermore, this principle is repeated over and over again in the Bible so that any sincere seeker for truth may be correctly instructed. Let's read:
Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
Deuteronomy 11:26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
There are some theologians and philosophers who would have us believe that there is no correlation between sowing and reaping in the spiritual realm, and because of this theory, many people are encouraged in sinning against God and their own consciences, with the hope that God's blessings and goodwill will follow them in whatsoever they do. But nothing can be further from the truth, for if we were to plant corn seeds in the physical realm, we would be naive to expect apples, and similarly, if we sow evil seeds in the spiritual realm, we should not be expecting God's blessings, for God never blesses disobedience.
After the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, America went to war in Afghanistan to punish the perpetrators of the deadly crime, but soon after, we found ourselves embroiled in a war with Iraq under the premise that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, a charge which turned out to be false. During that war with Iraq it is estimated that approximately half a million people lost their lives as a direct result of the war and related causes.
What is worthy of note is that during that same time, we experienced an unusual spike in the number of hurricanes that hit the u.s mainland, and in 2005 the national weather service actually ran out of names for storms, and had to restart the alphabetical order. At the height of the hurricane season of that same year the strongest hurricane ever recorded in history was formed in the Atlantic, and if it wasn't for the mercies of God, it could have destroyed much of the eastern United States. The following is a factual breakdown of hurricane activity in the U.S during the tenure of the previous administration, as the war raged on.
2002 Oct LA, Lili, 2003 July TX, Claudette, 2003 Sept NC, Isabel, 2004 Aug NC, Alex, 2004 Aug FL, Charley, 2004 Aug SC, Gaston, 2004 Sept FL, Frances, 2004 Sept AL, Ivan 2004 Sept FL, Jeanne, 2005 July LA, Cindy, 2005 July FL, Dennis, 2005 Aug FL and New Orleans, Katrina, 2005 Sept TX, Rita, 2005 Oct FL, Wilma, 2007 Sept CT, Humberto, 2008July PA, Dolly, 2008 Sept LA, Gustav 2008 Sept CT, Ike. Eighteen hurricanes in total.
Then in 2009 our current president was inaugurated, and one of his main campaign strong points was that he had voted against the war in Iraq, and he immediately set about to end the war and the accompanying bloodshed. The hurricanes that have hit the U.S mainland in the six years since he took office, have somehow, and for some unknown reason, dropped precipitously, and scientists and philosophers are at a loss to explain why. Let's read:
2011 Sept NC, Irene, 2012 Aug LA, Isaac, 2012 Oct NY, Sandy.
The Bible teaches us that the laws of cause and effect apply equally in the physical arena as well as the spiritual realm, and thus it behooves us, individually and collectively as a nation to make choices that are in harmony with principles of righteousness. This is what the prophet Daniel plainly stated to king Nebuchadnezzar, as the judgments from heaven loomed on the horizon, on account of his pride, and oppression of the poor. Let's read:
Daniel 4:24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king: 25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
Let us then be very careful not to put a private interpretation on current events, for the law of sowing and reaping continues as long as time will last, and so we end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to make wise choices that are in harmony with the principles of righteousness, for it may be the "lengthening of our tranquility". Let's read:
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
May The Lord add His blessing to the doing of His word. "Good night" and God bless!