The "Spiritual Front"

The “Spiritual Front”
By Wallace G. Smith Saturday, November 15, 2008

The world held its breath last November 4 as the most powerful nation on earth elected its new president. At the selection of Senator Barack Obama, there was much celebration, both in the U. S. and abroad.

But now that the celebrations are over, the reality is beginning to set in. Analysts have been quick to note that President-Elect Obama will face a world of difficulty once the “Elect” drops from his title and those difficulties are often categorized into two different “fronts” in a war America is fighting for its survival.

One front – and, perhaps, the one that most influenced the election – is the Economic Front. Economically, America is at a crossroads: should the nation continue down the road of laissez faire capitalism, in which the government keeps its hands off, trusting the markets to find the healthiest levels over the long run, or should it embrace more socialistic approaches, in which government intervenes – dramatically if need be – to direct and safeguard markets?

Also, America’s financial obligations to foreign nations have reached unprecedented heights. Parade magazine recently reported (November 9, 2008) that the U.S. owes $2.67 trillion to foreign governments and investors – debt which is currently keeping the nation afloat. The new president will inherit an economy in which he may need to take dramatic action, yet he may not be truly free to choose the path that is in America’s best interests, bound as his nation is to foreign obligations and interests (cf. Proverbs 22:7).

The second front, the Military Front, presents its own challenges. While America has begun turning the tide in Iraq and is fighting to do the same in Afghanistan, the stomach of the American people has grown intolerant for war. The new president will face tough choices: How can he keep his promises to quickly to extricate America and its troops from two unpopular wars while at the same time avoiding leaving those lands in murderous chaos, more dangerous to their own people and to America than they were before? The Obama administration will face the same challenging complications that plagued the Bush administration, and in a world in which experts say that it is not a matter of if the U.S. will experience a terrorist nuclear attack on its soil, but when such an attack will occur, the stakes have never been higher.

However – as counterintuitive as it might seem – these two vital fronts in America’s fight for survival pale in comparison to the generally overlooked third front: the Spiritual Front. God makes it clear in His word that it is He who gives the power to create wealth, and He warns America not to get caught up in the pride of believing that its economic greatness was of its own creation and superiority (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). For a nation that will not seek His face, He assures us that even our gold and our silver will become useless to us, fit for nothing but to be cast into the streets like garbage (cf. Ezekiel 7:19). God makes it clear that it is He who gives the power to defeat a nation’s enemies, and that departing from His ways, His laws, His statutes, and His judgments America will ultimately find itself fleeing before its enemies (Leviticus 26:14-17).

New administrations bring new policies, but at the heart of America’s travails is not simply problematic policy – rather, it is a failure to truly seek the God who made the nation great. And if America hopes to see real and lasting success in its battles on the Economic and Military fronts, it must address the Spiritual Front.

While most do not recognize it, the Bible does have many specific things to say about the future United States. If you are interested in what is prophesied to occur for America, Britain, and the world, consider requesting our free booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.