Keep Moving Forward![1]<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Caroline Lewis
The lull after the 4th of July is much like the lull after Christmas.  "Okay, we've opened all the presents, now it's time to clean up the trash and write thank-you notes."  The same is true for the days following our Independence Day.  We've been to the parades, seen the fireworks, and eaten the ritual pies and ice cream, now what? 
At the fireworks display that I attended, I was struck by the sheer majesty of freedom.  As began unpacking the coolers and bringing the blankets and food back into my house, I realized what freedom is.  Freedom is the ability for me to eat the rest of that chocolate cake, grab my pajamas and go to bed, resting in peaceful slumber because men and women across the ocean are fighting to protect my life.  Freedom is not having to put up blankets for black-outs, not having to be shrouded in a burka because someone says that's what "women are supposed to do."   This is the freedom we possess in this, the United States of America. 
Understanding and grasping the essence of freedom begins with an attitude of gratefulness.  When we realize that we can go to church without fear of imprisonment, and go to the grocery store to buy food rather than toil in vain on the communal farm only to starve because the government cannot figure out how to distribute it properly, it is obvious that we have something for which to be grateful.
But along with these ideas of gratefulness comes another idea: fear.  Fear that if I don't do something, this vision is going to fall apart.  Fear stemming from the fact that I see so much hurt, so much pain and so many misconceptions of what freedom is.  I see a world, a nation, and a culture, 'run amuck' and I feel powerless to defend it.
This morning, however, I read this passage:
This is what the LORD says to you: "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the vast army.  For the battle is not yours, but God's…you will not have to fight this battle.  Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Go out and face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you" (2 Chronicles 20:15b, 17)
I realized that the battle was not mine, not even ours as Christians, but God's.  As people of faith, we can become overwhelmed as we see this nation influenced by such an ungodly culture.  However, God has not called us to right the wrongs of society alone.  Instead, He has called us to follow Him, to stand back, to wait, and to watch Him work through us.  I take comfort in the fact that Christ is with me as I till the little field to which He has called me.  It is our civic duty, no doubt, to become involved in the affairs of the world.  Yet, it is not our job to fix things alone, independent of God's help.  God will do the fixing; we just need to do the following. 
The Psalmist says, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."[2]  We are to sit and wait on the LORD and He will move for us.  He will defeat the enemies.  Exodus 14:14 says, "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." 
Moreover, the LORD will make a way for us because the LORD is our banner.[3]  The LORD goes before us and will lead us as we go forward.  So take heart, all you who feel overwhelmed at the societal ills around us.  Ask God to show you where He wants you to serve.  If we each do our small part, it will make a difference.  Together, as the Body of Christ, we can make a difference.  Remember what scripture says, "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land."[4]  This is the command directed toward the people of God.  That's us!  We need to examine our hearts searching for whether or not we are living a life worthy of the calling we have received.[5] 
Dwight D. Eisenhower put it this way: "Whatever America hopes to bring to pass in the world must first come to pass in the heart of America."  The problems that we see today, abortion, sexual promiscuity, prolific pornography, and a whole host of other issues, is really a heart problem.  It is a heart problem that must be fixed on an individual level by the best heart surgeon of them all, the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is by His wounds that we are healed.  If we, as Christians will pick up our crosses and follow Him into that healing, then, we would see a different America.  If we as Christians would fear God and not man, if we would not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, if we would take the high roads and live our lives above reproach and in humble service to our King, we would see a massive societal change unmatched by any government program or non-profit initiative man could create.
So, let us, then,  with gladness of heart, and faith in our God's mighty power, move forward, dig deeper, pursue righteousness, act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.[6]  This is what is good and what the LORD requires of our lives.  So, as Proverbs says, keep your eyes focused on what is directly in front of you living a life of winsome love, focused truth, and sound conviction.[7]  May God give us the courage to accept the call!  Amen.

[1] This is a quotation attributed to Walt Disney, who despite the "impossibility" of the creative art he pioneered known as animation, "kept moving forward" to become one of the most world-renowned and respected creative geniuses of the 20th century.  May we all "keep moving forward" in our own lives as we answer the call of God to follow Him in all His ways.    

[2] Psalm 110:1. The Holy Bible.  New International Version.  Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, 1984.  All subsequent passages quoted from the NIV.

[3] Exodus 17:15; Moses built an altar to the LORD and called it "the LORD is our Banner." The Hebrew name for this is Jehovah-Nissi.

[4] 2 Chronicles 7:14.

[5] Ephesians 4:1.

[6] Micah 6:8 states, "He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

[7] Proverbs 4:25 states, "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you."