Cling Not to the Surrounding Nations

 [S] Joshua 23:12-13 --
12  "For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13  know with certainty that the Lord your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you.

[O] This message seems to fit many nations in today's world including the one I'm living in now.  How blessed to know how this nation was founded on the principles of God which was led by those who trusted in God and yet over the years, the people's hearts were led away from backbone of the founding fathers' spirit but clung to the values of our own systems.  As how we know the types of a fruit tree by its fruits, the fruits of this nation tells us that we had veered away from God as outlined in verse 13 -- other nations will be a snare and trap to us, and a whip on our sides and thors in our eyes until we perish from off this good land.  This is scary thought but a reality in God's promises.

[A] Even though trying to change a whole nation is not a simple matter that I can take on, I believe I can tackle on how to let my family stick to God's values because I especially desire my children to be ruling lives which are filled with God Stories of how he fought for them and how great "nations" surrounding them will not be bothering them at all.

[P] Dear Father, please allow time in my mind and schedule to remind and discipline my children to put You very first in their lives no matter what they do.  This is where You will guide and guard their lives for them despite their lack of efforts.  Please consider my prayer for our family as I pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.