Warfare Wednesday

“If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Heal our land. 

I think that sometimes, we put ourselves into a little bubble where we are, and we just spend time being thankful that we are not where disaster currently is.  You know, we hear about a disaster and we give it our thoughts for a day or two, and then we move on, happy that we are not where they are.  But the fact is, the people who live in the Southern part of the US right now are hurting- and hurting badly.  They've truly lost everything- their homes are in splinters, and spread across three counties.  They are sifting through rubble, looking for anything they can salvage as a memento.   This devastation doesn't just go away over a couple of days.  These people are maybe living in shelters, trying to figure out what to do next, and for those who aren't in a shelter, things are cold and rainy and damp and miserable- and no one should have to live like that.

This morning I read that the twister-ravaged south is facing a new danger, as the Mississippi River is at flood stage- how many more people could be out of their homes and needing help?

As I sit up here in the north (where it looks like we are about to experience a lovely, sunny day), I can't help but think about how much I wish I could help someone in the south.  How much I would love to walk over and help someone look for treasure among their ruins, or take them a hot meal, and invite them to share our home for a while.  I remember thinking that about Hurricane Katrina- I even went so far as to put an add online that if any evacuees could get north to Wisconsin, they could stay in our home for a while while they figured out what was next. 

The fact is, physically, there's nothing I can do, beyond making a financial donation, and maybe as time passes, I can donate material goods to those who have literally lost everything.  But what I can do, is what every believer in America should be doing in these rough days.  I can bend my knee and pour out my heart, and my tears, to God for those precious people who are in need.  I can ask for mercy for our country, and I can pray that He would hear our prayers and would shower His love on those who truly need it in these days ahead.

I can humble myself and pray for this country that is experiencing all kinds of weather oddities.  From the infamous "tornado alley" literally shifting to the east, to the horrendous drought and wildfires just a little bit to the west of them.  I can pray for the swollen rivers and the parched ground- why is it that parts of our country have too much water, and other parts have too little?  God is the only one who can bring things into balance.  God is the only one who controls the weather and perhaps if enough of us would spend time in prayer, interceding for our nation, He would show mercy and favor.  Even here in the north part of the country- we're having an exceptionally cool spring.  The weather we are experiencing right now is literally two months late- and the farmers are getting nervous, as it's still too cool to be putting crops in the ground.  May God have mercy on our country and heal our broken land!

I would be remiss this morning if I did not give some attention to the original purpose behind Warfare Wednesday- to pray for President Obama.  This week, and these days, he needs our prayers more than ever, as he gave executive orders this week that are now coming under scrutiny.  May God bless him for his diligence, and may God make Himself very, very real to President Obama in the days ahead.  May the president see that the actions of this week were directed by God- and that justice has been served by the Lord God Almighty, and not by the United States of America.  Most importantly, may God throw his angel's arms around President Obama and his family and protect them from any and all harm that may try to come their way.   May He bless them for their service to this country, and may they know that the God in Heaven loves them so much.