Most attribute the following observations to Alexander Tytler, an 18th century Scottish born lawyer/historian, “A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government.  It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess (generous gifts) out of the public treasury.  After that, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits with the result the democracy collapses because of the loose fiscal policy ensuing, always to be followed by a dictatorship.  The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years…Great nations rise and fall. The people go from bondage to spiritual truth, to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence back again to bondage.”

  Tytler’s observations read as a historical synopsis of our Republic.  If there is any truth to these quotes, America is moving quickly through the apathy stage and a majority of her people have, or will soon, succumb to lives of dependence.

  Is there any hope for our beloved nation?  YES, but it is not in a political system or party.  America is only as good as her people, who choose their representatives based upon their own spiritual moorings; if you doubt it, look at the record, if you can find an unaltered copy.   For generations, we were a nation who trusted in God.  Our motto was formally adopted in 1957 and printed on our currency for the world to see, In God We Trust.  It was God, His moral absolutes and the guiding principles of His Word that our founding fathers utilized in forming The United States Of America.

  If we are going to trust in God again, we must first know Him.  His divine Son, Jesus Christ, died, was buried, and rose from the dead, to make that possible.  “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12).”

  During a recent storm, leaves and limbs from every tree were strewn across the yards in our neighborhood.  It is amazing to behold the devastation delivered in minutes by the winds and waves of a common storm.

  The Bible speaks of individuals who were moved to fear by the awesome power of a storm.  In Acts 27 there was the storm called “Euroclydon” that disrupted Paul’s voyage across the Mediterranean Sea as a prisoner in route to Rome.  In the midst of the tempest, the soldiers on board would have killed all of their prisoners lest one escape and they be held responsible, but, as God would have it, they were prevented by their commander.

  In Mark 4, there was a storm on the Sea of Galilee in which the disciples of Christ, who were seasoned fishermen, feared for their lives while their Jesus rested in perfect peace at the stern of the ship.  The Bible says that the waves beat against their vessel and it was full of water.  In terror, they awakened the Master, who simply stood and spoke to the storm, “‘Peace, be still.’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39)

  So often I find myself, like the disciples, at the end of my resources, in waves of trouble that would conquer my soul.  My vessel is filled with the circumstances of life that steal away my confidence and threaten to drown my faith.  But I too know the Master, the Lord of the troubled seas, and what’s more, He knows me!  I have often heard His words, “Peace, be still.”

  Jesus, the Master of the Seas, wants to know you too; only sin has kept you apart.  But praise God, who “commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)  He was buried, rose again, and has ascended to the right hand of God, the Father.  And now, “as many as receive him, to them he gives power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. (John 1:12)”  O how I would love to introduce you to the Master of the Seas!

  About 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ lived on the earth He created.  The angels announced His birth, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matt. 1:23).”  I believe…  How about you?

   Need some proof?  Okay, how about His Power To Forgive?  Matthew 9:1 says, “And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed.”  Why?  Christ had a reputation for healing the sick.  “…and Jesus seeing their faith said, …Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”  But wait a minute!  This man came to be healed, not forgiven.  A closer look at the passage reveals that he was sick as a result of his sin.  When sin entered into the world, sickness and death entered too.  These truths still hold true; the maladies of our day are the result of living in a sin cursed world, and your specific illness, or mine, could be linked to our personal sin.

  Jesus addressed the more important issue with this man first; he needed forgiveness.  “And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.”  The Scribes were the religious leaders of that day, and they did not believe that it was right for Jesus, who appeared to be a mere man, to forgive sin.  Only God could forgive sin!  “And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, …whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.”

  Because this man’s sickness was the result of his sin: to heal his sickness would necessarily include forgiving his sin.  “And he arose, and departed to his house.”  Jesus IS able to forgive sin; He was and is God in the flesh, and you and I are sinners in need of His forgiveness.  My friend, He is able to meet your most urgent need,  “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31).”

  These sad words have been uttered through the ages after costly failures in the most daring adventures, and most dangerous missions.  History is replete with stories of individuals and nations who have risked life and livelihood to reach their goals.  e.g. A husband and father might utter this phrase when his failed business venture ends in the loss of his home and savings.  A thief may spend months in planning, and invest all of his strength and resources to pull off a job, only to be nabbed in the act.  He might be heard saying, as he is helped into the back seat of a police car, “It was all for nothing.”

  The truth is that many who succeed in the ventures of this life will get to the end of their love, leisure, and lucrative endeavors, only to find that their celebrated success doesn’t compensate for the years of drudgery that were endured to get there. They will discover that their time on the top of the hill is short lived; their treasures are soon consumed by moths and rust.  At the end of life no one maintains their esteemed standing or takes their material gain to the abode of the dead.  It Was All For Nothing.

  The problem is that most people spend their lives majoring on the minors.  They never discover (or always reject) the knowledge that our Creator God has a purpose for their lives through which they can enjoy eternal reward for temporal labor.  It begins with a proper introduction to  the Almighty.  “But as many as received him (Jesus), to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)”

  For those who have established a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, there is a cause worth living for, …or dying for.  He tells His children,  “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:19–21)”

  It has occurred to me again recently that the battle is the Lord’s, that I can do nothing apart from Him, that “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it. (Psalm 127:1a).” I am seeing more clearly that I don’t simply need His help, I need Him to do it for me, and in me, and through me. I am realizing anew that I am, and have always been, totally dependent upon the Lord in every aspect of life.

   One might think that in time I would learn to exercise a little independence, to accomplish something without bothering God for His help, but quite the opposite is true. I am learning that I was not made to function on my own. Some may laugh or call me lunatic, but I am actually enjoying my dependence. This is the result of revival, not laziness or a lack of zeal. It was God’s idea, not my own.

  He told me to, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Prov. 3:5-6).” He has revealed to me that, “…As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (John 15:4).” I’m starting to see that while I am unqualified and unable to do anything of lasting value on my own, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Php. 4:13).” I have discovered power in dependence, and peace in surrender. I feel closer to God and I like it.

  He is the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe; He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is MY STRENGTH and MY GOD! “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21).”