IT HAS NEVER BEEN EASY
by Samuel N. Jones
Life for mankind or nations has never been easy. We go all the way back to the early chapters of Genesis to find out why, as God told man, (Adam), that life would be by the sweat of the brow and "thorns and thistles". Obviously this did not refer only to farming. Because of the decision made by Adam, life has been hard and under a tough taskmaster.
It wasn't easy for Israel going into the promised land under the direction of God... because of man and the influence of Satan. God gave Israel a "religion", priests to direct them, and they still failed in what God laid out for them. The United States of America did not come into existence easily by any means, but it was by great struggle that it came to be. I think God was behind the founding of this nation and inspired the constitution, but as always, He works within this system or world that Satan controls -therefore it wasn't and isn't easy.
Some take offense that this nation is referred to by some as a "Christian" nation, but God saw to it that this country was flooded with Bibles, and that wasn't easy either, as many gave their lives, were tortured and burned for translating and printing this book. Some choose to point out and even dwell on the evil that has been practiced by some in this "Christian nation", but nothing comes easy. Yes, there was slavery, but I know of no other nations other than Britain and the USA who outlawed this practice, as it seems that there have been forms of slavery throughout the ages. The Bible itself has many rules for treatment of slaves, showing that this was a practice even in Israel under the Law and because of the decisions made in those early chapters - thorns, thistles, and sweat.
Naaman who bathed 7 times in the Jordan was healed and had or “owned” that little Israelite maid who advised him, as property by conquest. It was the world they lived in. We live in the world or age today without a choice in the matter. This country, maybe more than any other, was made of people who tried to live as best they knew how by those scriptures that were so readily available, and it set the morals that they lived by. Many still try to live that way. Traditions and practices were what they were and things did not change quickly or easily. I believe the words of the constitution were inspired, although all that was written was not immediately practiced for all. I have a friend who is adamant that the constitution was written for the white man, and that may well be, but those words were placed there nevertheless. Slavery was ended, but many of our nation were not so readily accepted ... it didn't come easy - thorns and thistles, Satan's world - but God still works through that world to bring about HIS will, and nothing is easy.
It has always been a struggle even under the direction of God, because of the choices in early Genesis and what God pronounced on mankind. God's scriptures are a wonderful guide for any who try to follow and live by them to the best of their ability. Remember the disciples (who knew the scriptures, were taught personally by Jesus, were even given the power to heal) believed Jesus, but they still didn't "get it" until after the resurrection and Jesus breathed on them, telling them to receive the Holy Spirit, and then He opened their eyes. There are plenty of examples of wrong done by those who claimed to be Christian and thought they were rightly following God's word, but they still live in Satan's world and have not been "breathed on " yet. It has taken time, and the changes that line up more with the intent of the constitution did not come without a struggle, but the words were still there. I think it was Adams who said the constitution was made for a moral and religious people, and it will not work for any other.
Today we see traditional morality disdained, as there have been 10's of millions of abortions, homosexuality has become "protected," sex outside of marriage has long been accepted as the norm, and even the name of Jesus is being removed from our government and society. This is a long way from what the founders intended. There is plenty today to "cry and sigh" over, but that is ignored by some who would rather go back through the history of the struggle of this nation and point out that what was done in some cases was not "Christian." Too often those who try to stand for values found in the scriptures are mocked and pushed to the side because they aren't "perfect." No one can become perfect until they are "breathed on," and that, too, is a process and quite often a struggle because of the word we live in - thorns and thistles. Romans 1 speaks of those who "did not like to retain God in their knowledge," and that seems to be where our nation is officially headed. There were those in years past, even in the government, who did like to retain God in their knowledge to the best of their ability (without being "breathed on") and that helped in the struggles to bring about fairness and freedom to all - but it took a while, with many struggles, because of the world mankind chose.
God had a plan for this nation, or else it wouldn't have formed as it did, but He carried out that plan right in the middle of the thorns and thistles, as He promised it would be. I hope we can see God's mighty hand in what has built this nation, in other places in the world, and quite probably in what we see happening now. Just because we don't see perfection according to our own eyes, opinions, and traditions, it does not mean that God is not directing events according to His plan - even if it is in the midst of thorns and thistles.