Blessed Is The Nation

                “Blessed is the Nation whose God is the LORD, the people He chose for His inheritance.”

                                                                                                                                                                                Psalm 33:12

                In examining this text, which was the focus of our meditation at First Baptist Church Brampton this past Sunday morning I find myself confronted with some key thoughts regarding the needs of my nation.  From a personal point of view when I meditate upon the needs of my nation, Canada, I am confronted with one key issue.  That is that what Canada needs is real Godliness.  This is not a call to an adherence to a superficial morality, and especially not to its imposition upon our lives.  We have had enough, in the past, of that type of self-righteousness which mars the testimony of Christ.  What is needed is the reality of the new birth.  What the Wesley’s and George Whitefield discovered in the 18th Century is what is needed now.  Their discovery led to the Great Awakening of the 18th Century.  The new birth, or regeneration, of the people of our nation is crucial.  How is this to be accomplished?

Robert Murray McCheyne once responded to a question regarding the greatest need of his Church with the following answer.  The greatest need of his Church was a Godly pastor.  We could say that the greatest need of Canada right now is our own personal Godliness.  In 2 Chronicles 7:14 we read,

“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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

                There are several key things here.

1)      We must truly be God’s people.  We must be born again, gospel people.  Nothing is more important than this.  Reform, renewal, revival is impossible without laying this solid foundation in the LORD Jesus Christ.  The Apostle John writes in 1 John 3:23 “And this is His command: to believe in the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us.”  The question we must answer first, and Biblically, is “Are you Born Again?”

2)      We must humble ourselves.  Psalm 33 focuses upon the Nation whose God is the LORD.  This does not mean that we possess the LORD, but that we are His possession.  We belong to Him.  The message of the 33rd Psalm is that God speaks and we hear Him in humble obedience to His Word.  In the past God spoke to our ancestors through prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.” (Hebrews 1:1-2a) Humility hears and obeys Him.  The truly humble person’s life is conformed to God’s Word.

3)      We must become a people who intercede for the need of our land.  In doing this we find that our praying is seeking for a genuine knowledge of the LORD Jesus Christ.  We must come to know the holiness of God, revealed in Christ, as well and His compassionate love.

4)      We must personally and corporately turn from all known sin.  This is not self-righteousness; it is a personal encounter with the holy and gracious God in Christ, and abiding in Him.  It is living according to His Word, and loving one another in Christ.  What comes from this?  God promises to hear from heaven, to forgive our sin, and to heal our land.

Isn’t this what we need?