God’s Pro Video
The following addresses the mood of the moment in America. It is an indirect appeal to pray for America.
Concurrent with freedom must be responsibility. If not, liberty is lost.
Former President James Madison, an advocate of liberty, knowing it had limits stated: “Liberty may be endangered by the abuse of liberty, but also by the abuse of power.” Liberty abused is obviously self-destructive. They who use liberty as license to do and/or say whatever they want are endangering liberty.
Liberty and libertine seem to be synonyms for some. This is about the libertine attitude many seem to have. This is not about the Libertarian Party. As defined, “libertine” means to be free of moral restraint, a profligate or dissolute person. They act as though freedom grants license to do whatever they desire.
Danish author, Soren Kierkegaard, considered to be the first existentialist philosopher observed, “People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought that they seldom use.”
Max Lerner, noted historian and journalist, observing our culture wrote: “We are living in a Babylonian society more Babylonian than Babylon itself. It is what is called a late sensate period. The emphasis in our society today is on the senses and the release of the sensual. All old codes have been broken down.”
The codes have been broken under the guise of freedom. This freedom has come to be more license than liberty. Liberty is wonderful, but so is law. Freedom is a blessing, but so is appropriate restraint.
Thomas Jefferson noted: “Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure, when we have removed their only firm basis — the conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?”
E. Stanley Jones observed, “If we lose our sense of being led, we become victims of circumstances.”
The framers of our Declaration of Independence left us the legacy of these lines: “With firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
Our predecessors spoke often of “the providence of God.” The term comes from the Latin prefix “pro,” meaning “before” combined with the root “video,” meaning “to see.” Providence means God sees before the action the consequence thereof. For that reason He gives us guidelines.
The God who foresees the result of actions has said: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach.” That is, righteousness exalts a nation, but sin degrades, meaning it results in a disgraceful condemnation.
When God sees a nation that honors Him, He knows the result will be blessings. When He sees a nation that is living in sin He knows the consequences.