Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
The simple language of this verse might allow us to skim over the meaning and think, "Okay, so I need to be obedient, live here and he'll keep me safe...pretty sweet deal, right?" But as we learned, it is not that simple. It's not enough to just be obedient and BE good. The LORD calls us to DO good! After all, if I am an obedient little Christian and do what I am supposed to do all the time (which I surely don't) then what positive impact will that have on people? Oh sure, some might be inspired by my decent example, and if I'm being good then I'm not being bad, but is that really helping anyone? And is that DWELLING in the land, or just merely taking up space?
If my child was about to do something dangerous, and I told her it was dangerous, but then didn't give her another option for her adventurous cravings, what would be the outcome? She would do it, get hurt, and I would be right. I would be right, but my daughter would be hurt. That does her no good. It harms the trust that she has in the protection that I am supposed to be providing.
That's just how it is with so many people, too many people, in our country. We are horrified by the evening news and all of the stories of abuse of drugs, children and sex. We shake our heads in shame at the no good people that live on welfare or drop out of school or abort a child. We shout angry words at the TV when we hear about another blank check that the government is writing or another policy that they are trying to shove down our throats. AND WE ARE RIGHT!!! We know we are. We know this is not how it's supposed to be. It's not how God intended it.
And you would be right yet again. Because if we were "doing good" the way God says we should then government wouldn't have to step in. If we had true wisdom, that we can get if we will just ask God for it, then it would not have come to this. Because we would be serving each other, taking care of each other. Not judging the man (or woman) that asks for something that they either do not deserve or do not need, because that is not our job. Those people will be judged someday by the one and only judge.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, then considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. ~James 3:17-18
My prayer for our country, and ultimately this world, is that God would help us lay down our anger and our need to be right. That he would bring a spirit of generosity that could out-give even the most generous government program. That our fear of someone getting more than their fair share would melt away as we are overcome with the fear that someone may not be going with us to the Promised Land.