Will we get through this?

Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Schumer described America's situation as a “once-in-a-century crisis.” He specifically emphasized that this is “not once in a decade, not once in every 50 years—once in a century.”

This may be understating the challenge.

He set up the decision before the Senate as one of two choices: either “a long, slow, painful recovery” or a bill “to crush the virus now, get our country back to normal, lay the foundation for our economy to come roaring back—roaring back.” In other words, one way or another, we will get through this.

What if there's a third option, and more importantly, a reason behind these economic difficulties?

What if God is trying to get our nation's attention?

Are we listening? Does He have our attention? If not, why should we think we will inevitably get through this and “back to normal”?

In the latter days of its monarchy, the nation of Israel oscillated between the kings that built up the high places and the kings that tore down the high places. Eventually the nation was carried off into exile and the government operations of the monarchy were no more.

Many of the people survived. A remnant stayed in Israel, most were carried to Babylon, and some went the other way to Egypt. That latter group tried to justify their rebellion against God saying things were fine when they worshipped the queen of heaven, so the problem is they need to worship the queen of heaven more (see Jeremiah 44). One should never mistake the subsequent punishment for idolatry as being a reason for more idolatry.

In America, we've had our own oscillations between rebuilding and attempts to tear down our high places. The is most obviously seen in the Mexico City policy executive orders from successive administrations, and it sadly extends way beyond that both at home and abroad.

Will we survive? Will we get through this? There's no guarantee God will let our overt evil go on forever. One day our iniquity will be full and God will have had enough.

Our hopes do not rest in a bill. They do not rest in Congress or in the government. Our hope is in God for our personal salvation and Him continuing to bless this nation. We should be thankful for His many blessings past and present. If instead we do the opposite of that, He may do the opposite as well. This may not just be a once-in-a-century crisis, but a crisis that brings American centuries to an end.