A Great and Powerful Nation

What makes a nation powerful?

• Is it the size of it’s budget?
• Is it the size of it’s arsenal?
• Is it the “footprint” it makes in the world – carbon – or otherwise?
• Is it the skill of it’s diplomats?
• Is it the shrewd negotiating power of it’s leaders?
• Is it something else?

What makes a nation great?

• Is it how it is organized?
• Is it the law by which it is governed?
• Is it the philosophy by which it acts?
• Is it something else?

We might agree to all – or none – of the above suggestions.

But here’s one more suggestion, from a faith perspective.

What makes a nation great and powerful is it’s spiritual connection to God.

Now here, we must be very careful.

It is so easy to take all of our own political inclinations, liberal, moderate, or conservative – all our predisposed ideas – about how a government should be run, and who should run it, all our nationalistic inclinations, and just insert them into this premise.

It is so easy to say that the Republicans or the Democrats or the Tea Party or the Green Party or any other group “has it right” – and to follow their program – is to follow God.

Be careful with that.   God can’t be so easily boxed in.

On the other hand, it is worth remembering that in God’s promise to a fellow Abraham – made a very long time ago – God established a covenant that God said would be everlasting and time and again God spoke of that promise saying He would, as part of that covenant, establish Abraham’s line as a “great and powerful nation” that would be blessed – as well as be a blessing – to the whole world.

It would extend beyond the national borders of the nation of Israel.

It would extend beyond twentieth century borders of any country.

God was establishing a people of faith – that extends beyond one religious denomination as we define it.

So, what makes a nation great and powerful?

God.  In all His mercy, power, wisdom, compassion and plan.

Are we, as individuals, and a people,  aligned with that mercy, power, wisdom, compassion and plan?

Sounds to me like that’s something work praying about.