Shaping the Course of a Nation

On September 26, 400 years ago, the pilgrims set sail for America in their ship, the Mayflower.  They came seeking freedom to restart their lives and to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Many on the ship lost their lives; those who did not persevered.  With faith and fortitude, they pressed on toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called them. (Philippians 3:14) Those who landed on the shores of America were the seed of our nation.  Before disembarking and putting down their roots in the new land, they signed a document that has become known as the Mayflower Compact. It was a covenant made with God and with each other that expressed the idea of self-government with "just and equal laws...for the general good of the Colony."  The Compact expressed deep faith and belief in God and would serve as a foundation for the Constitution of the United States.
 
I believe that the Christian community will agree that our nation has fallen far from the original intentions of the pilgrims who signed the Mayflower Compact.  Early in the year, two of our leaders in the faith came to the same conclusion separately and selected September 26 as a day for people of faith to gather in a solemn assembly on the National Mall to pray.  Franklin Graham called his event "The Washington Prayer March" while Jonathan Cahn called the event "The Return."  The date God led these men to choose also happens to be 40 days before the presidential election.  Franklin Graham says, "The only hope for America is God.  Prayer is our most important weapon.  It allows us to go directly to the King of kings, directly to stand before the throne of grace and make our petitions known before God."
 
In the Bible we see that there is great significance to both the number 40 and 400.  The flood, Moses and God's meetings, Christ's temptation in the wilderness, and His post resurrection ministry all took place in a 40-day period of time.  Of course, the Israelites were in the desert for 40 years.  Hence, the number 40 represents a time in the wilderness and preparation through trials and testing.  In Genesis 15:13 we see that God foretold of the bondage of the Israelites for 400 years.  He delivered them from bondage after 400 years.  It seems that whenever God wanted to prepare a nation for His purposes it took 400 years.  Could it be that the convergence of two major events in the life of our country is a sign that God is about to change our nation?
 
I believe that The Return and The Washington Prayer March were strategically planned by God to occur exactly when they did.  They fell in the middle of the 10 Days of Awe—the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur where repentance for sins occurs.  In addition, these events landed on a day called "Shuvah" on the Jewish calendar, a day annually set aside to return to God through repentance.  In fact, the meaning of the word "Shuvah" is "Return."  When Jonathan selected September 26 for "The Return" he had no idea that it would fall on Shuvah.  Another interesting "coincidence" is that the preset Scripture to be read in synagogues on this day is Joel 2:15.  "Blow the shofar in Zion!  Proclaim a holy fast.  Call for a solemn assembly." (The Complete Jewish Bible) And blow the shofars they did!!  Jonathan led an entire army of people in blowing their shofars.  The sound penetrated my soul.  There were so many convergences at this gathering that we must conclude that it was God inspired.
 
Before the event, Jonathan Cahn told an interviewer, "God doesn't want to judge.  He doesn't!  He's long-suffering.  Look at all we've done and what we do in His face.  Look at the millions that have been killed, the unborn children who've been killed.  God doesn't want to, but He has to deal with evil.  But his heart is for salvation.  His heart is that none should perish.  God is calling to America:  'America, return to me, and I will return to you.'  I believe that's the heart of God.  The movement and chance we have before us now may never come again.  If we don't return now, we may pass the point of no return."
 
There are those who seek to destroy our Judeo-Christian foundations.  It is up to Christians to take a stand and return to our Biblical roots.  We have this one moment in history that could turn the course of our nation and impact our descendants for generations to come.  All the signs point to the fact that God is up to something.  We must come into agreement with His plans to transform and reshape our nation.  Let us take God up on His promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14.  "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."
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