11 From the deadly sword deliver me;
rescue me from the hands of foreigners
whose mouths are full of lies,
whose right hands are deceitful.
12 Then our sons in their youth
will be like well-nurtured plants,
and our daughters will be like pillars
carved to adorn a palace.
13 Our barns will be filled
with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our fields;
14 our oxen will draw heavy loads.
There will be no breaching of walls,
no going into captivity,
no cry of distress in our streets.
15 Blessed is the people of whom this is true;
blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. Psalm 144:11

When you’re a nation at peace, you don’t quite understand the perils of war. You don’t understand the starvation, homelessness, and the destruction of everything you’ve known. Survival is key. Trying to find clean water and hot food is a daily chore.

In the United States we have known relative peace and prosperity for the past 70 years. For the most part, we don’t what it means to starve or to beg for food. We don’t know what it means to be taken into captivity or to be plagued by disease that kills thousands every day.

We are a blessed people. God continues to bless the United States with abundance and health. Yes, we have many problems and sins to address. Even now in the news we are seeing some of those sins being laid out by law enforcement officials against top ranking officials.

Why God continues to bless the United States is anybody’s guess. We have seen in the Old Testament, however, that God can withhold that blessing anytime He chooses. He let Israel – His chosen people – descend into darkness many times. If He did it with His “chosen” people, He’ll certainly do it with the United States if He chooses.

As the national election nears, pray for His mercy on this land. If the U.S. is not where you live, pray for God’s mercy on your land as well.