With all the turmoil America is going through today, one could argue that we are indeed under the judgement of God. Typically, when we think of God’s judgement coming upon a nation, we think of the Great Flood (Genesis 6-7), fire and brimstone raining down on Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19: 24-25) or the 10 plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7-11). However, there are some not-so-obvious forms of judgement that nations will face when they turn their backs on the Lord. Today we will look at 6 signs that God is judging a nation.
GOD’S SOVEREIGN
Before we look at the signs that God is judging a nation, we must understand that God is sovereign over everything – He is in control. No matter what we may think or what we try to do, God’s plans and purposes are the ones that will stand. We can however, appeal to the heart of God through prayer and supplication because “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).
Scriptures about God’s Sovereignty
The Bible declares the sovereignty of God in many scriptures.
Psalm 47:7-8
“For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.”
Psalm 135:6
“Whatever the Lord pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places.”
Proverbs 16:33
“The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord.”
Lamentations 3:37-39
“Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, When the Lord has not commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that woe and well-being proceed? Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?”
Daniel 2:21
“[God] removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise.”
Daniel 4:17
“This decision is by the decree of the watchers,
And the sentence by the word of the holy ones,
In order that the living may know
That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,
Gives it to whomever He will,
And sets over it the lowest of men.”
Daniel 4:35
“All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;
He does according to His will in the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of the earth.
No one can restrain His hand
Or say to Him, “What have You done?”
Romans 13:1-2
“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”
Ephesians 1:11
“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will”
Finally, in John 19:10-11, Jesus says these words to Pilate when he asked Him if He understood the authority he held:
Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
All these verses show the power and sovereignty of the Lord God Almighty. It is HE alone who has the say in what happens in our lives. God is our Creator. He sets the standards that we are to live by. It doesn’t matter what we think or feel, again, God is the One who is in control.
GOD’S STANDARDS
God sets the standards of right and wrong, as well as morality and immorality. As His creation, we are expected to strive to meet His standards. What God deems acceptable or not acceptable is up to Him. Now, in our sinful nature, we will never meet God’s expectations, but out of His great love for us, He sent us a Savior, Jesus Christ, to pay for our sins. According to 1 John 2:2 “[Jesus] Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” Jesus’ death and resurrection paid our sin debt. (To learn what Jesus did for us, click here)
God Hates Sin
Sin is the transgression of God’s law. In 1 John 3:4 it says: “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” Not only is sin the transgression of God’s law, but it is also rebellion against God. Joshua 1:18 says: “Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.” Therefore, in the eyes of the Lord, we sin against Him when we break His laws or rebel against Him.
Today, it’s normal for people to make excuses for sin. They even go so far as to promote sin as something that should be accepted, tolerated and at times, even celebrated. When we accept, tolerate and/or celebrate sin, however, we are running down the path that leads to the judgement that we deserve.
Regardless of whether WE think something should be considered sinful or not, makes no difference. You see, God sets the standards for morality, so our opinion on the subject doesn’t matter.
6 SIGNS THAT GOD IS JUDGING A NATION
1. Morality is Absent – “Anything Goes”
As just discussed, God sets the standards for morality. In the Old Testament, each time God judged a nation, (including His chosen people, Israel) the people were void of conscience and morality. For example, God judged the earth in the time of Noah because “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). This is the pattern that occurs every time God judges a nation. The people turn away from Him and ignore what He desires from them.
Another example of the absence of morality is found in the book of Judges. Seven times the following words are repeated: “the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.” (Judges 2:11, 3:7, 3:12,4:1, 6:1,10:6, 13:1). Additionally, the last verse in the book of Judges adds the point that in those days “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).
In America today, we have reached the stage where “everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes.” The laws and commands of God are ignored. Today, what’s wrong is right and what’s right is wrong. As a result, if you do not accept or agree with any particular sin (as GOD defines sin), you are called out, deemed “intolerant” and shamed for your disagreement. Even when the truth is spoken, people don’t want to hear it. Everything they believe is based on what THEY want to do or HOW they feel and nothing else matters.
When there is no moral compass, when everyone does whatever they want to do and ignores God’s laws and standards – judgement is inevitable. We cannot expect the Lord to stay silent when “anything goes.” There HAS TO BE A MORAL CODE. When there is an absence of morality, accountability and conscience, God will eventually intervene and judge.
2. The Nation is Divided
Another sign that God is judging a nation is a division among the people is evident. In fact, the dividing line is very easy to see. There are two distinct sides, and each side sees things from their own perspective. In essence, the people have tunnel vision. They will not even consider the possibility of coming to any sort of agreement. Because of the division, people are unsure of what to believe and have a hard time distinguishing truth from lies. Mass confusion and chaos are at the forefront.
There is a large divide separating the citizens of America and it seems as if it will never be bridged. People are closed off and refuse to see the opposing side. Most of this divide is driven by hate. Parents are against children, children are against parents and families are split apart because of belief systems and ideologies and this is all happening while the nation burns around us.
In Isaiah 3:5, the prophet speaks words that relate to a nation under God’s judgement. Isaiah says: “The people will be oppressed, every one by another and every one by his neighbor; The child will be insolent toward the elder, and the base toward the honorable.” A nation under judgement will have people pitted against each other for simple reasons that seem significant, but don’t amount to much in the grand scheme of things.
In 1 Samuel 14:19-20 there is confusion in the camp of the Philistines. When this happens, they begin to turn on each other. “Now it happened, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase; so Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed, every man’s sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion.” You see, when the people are confused, they turn on and rise up against each other.
Finally, in Matthew 12:25 we read: “But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” To remain strong, a nation cannot be divided. The people must come together and agree that the standards God set for us need to remain the standards we live by. If there is division, the nation will only weaken. If a nation is divided, it may be the result of God’s judgement.
3. Lack of Resources
A nation under judgement will suffer a lack of resources, while at the same time experience financial distress. God’s judgement of Israel included a lack of resources. Isaiah 3:1 states: “For behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stock and the store, the whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water.”
In America, recently we have seen periodic food shortages. It is not uncommon nowadays to find shelves empty in the grocery store. Although leaders attempt to give excuses for these situations, we know that the Bible tells us that GOD determines a nation’s poverty or prosperity.
When a nation follows the Lord and places Him first, it will experience prosperity. Deuteronomy 28 confirms this in verses 1-2 which say: “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God.”
On the other hand, if a nation does not obey the Lord or if that nation turns away from Him, the opposite is true – that nation will face poverty. Curses will be placed on that nation and God’s blessings will be removed. Deuteronomy 28:15 says, “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.”
A nation’s prosperity or poverty is the direct result of its obedience to the Lord. For a time, even in disobedience to the Lord, a nation can survive. It’s people will prosper and be successful, but if they remove God from the equation, they will surely face the judgement of God.
4. The Vulnerable and Innocent Become Prey – Bloodshed is Condoned
You would think that those who are vulnerable or innocent would be valued in society, however, a nation under judgement (one that is absent of morals) does nothing to protect these groups. Proverbs 31:8-9 tells us to “Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”
The Vulnerable
First, we are commanded to speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves or who do not feel as if they have a voice. Elder abuse statistics show that 10% of adults aged 65 and older may experience elder abuse in a year. These numbers are deplorable. Our elders should never suffer in this manner. The elderly population is often viewed as being a drain on the country’s resources due to its advancing age.
In addition, in 2023 it was reported that in the United States 653,104 people experienced homelessness. This is a staggering number. The United States is supposed to be one of the wealthiest countries in the world, yet our underprivileged people are suffering. We have many Americans who are in need of help and yet, we turn a blind eye and pretend as if the problem does not exist
The Innocent
Second, God hates the shedding of innocent blood. Proverbs 6:17 tells us that “hands that shed innocent blood” are an abomination to the Lord. Since 1973, America has defiled itself beyond recognition due to the legalization of abortion. In 2023, abortion was listed as the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Killing of the innocent is nothing but an abomination to God.
Abortion is the murder of babies who are created by God, in HIS image, yet there are millions of Americans who celebrate it every single day. Proverbs 1:11-18 tells us that those who shed the blood of the innocent will lie in wait for their own blood. What does this mean? It means that someday soon, the United States will be judged harshly by God for the ongoing push to murder innocent unborn children and the celebration of such. The only way to avoid this judgement is nation-wide repentance.
5. Pastors and Teachers Preach a False Message
In the Old Testament, there were numerous false prophets and teachers who were leading the Israelites astray. While Jeremiah was trying to warn the people of the impending judgement that God was declaring, false prophets were ensuring the people that they would experience peace. Although this was not the case, the people followed the false prophets because of their “feel-good” message (Jeremiah 23). The people refused to listen to God’s truth and chose instead to listen to what they WANTED to hear.
The same thing is happening today. In churches across the United States, pastors and teachers are focused on proclaiming the prosperity gospel and the “name it and claim it” messages, while ignoring the true message of the Gospel. These pastors and teachers do what they can to avoid offending their congregants. But, many also do it to enrich themselves. They are leading people in the wrong direction with their false messages. God’s Word gives a clear message of what should be taught – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2).
What these pastors and teachers are doing is ultimately sending people directly onto the path of judgement that leads to hell. There is only one way to heaven and that way is through Jesus Christ. Sin separates us from God and while these false pastors and teachers want everyone to “feel good”, their messages negate the one true message of the Bible. In John 14:6 it is recorded: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
When a nation sees an influx of false pastors and teachers who only present the Lord as a “genie in a bottle” who grants all our wishes, something is terribly wrong. Rather than speak truth by calling on the people to confess the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of their sins, they spread lies and false hope. We are reminded of this in 2 Peter 2:1-3 which says:
“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.”
The increase of false pastors and teachers within a nation is a sign that this particular nation could be under the judgement of the Lord. Beware of who you are listening to. If their teachings do not align with the Word of God, run far from that church.
6. It’s All About Me – The Sin of Pride
Proverbs chapter six lists the things that are an abomination to the Lord. Starting in verse 16:
“These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.”
The first thing on the list of things that God hates is “a proud look.” This refers to the sin of pride. Yes, pride is a sin. In fact, one could argue that pride is the root of all sins. All around the world pride is celebrated as if it’s a good thing.
The Bible makes it clear that God DOES NOT love pride, in fact, He hates it. Yet, “pride culture” is being pushed like never before. The message is to be who you want to be, do what you want to do and feel how you want to feel. That is pride in a nutshell – putting oneself above everything.
Today, everyone is encouraged to focus on themselves. We hear slogans like “love yourself first,” “it’s all about me,” “follow your heart,” and “live your truth.” All of these slogans are proof that God is NOT in the forefront of the hearts and minds of the people. In order for a nation to succeed and to avoid the judgement of God, HE has to be the focus, not ourselves. A nation is crossing a very dangerous line when it’s all about “self” rather than God.
Let’s discuss these slogans, shall we?
“Love yourself first”
Loving yourself first is a violation of the first of the 10 Commandments found in Exodus 20. In fact, Jesus reiterates what the greatest commandment is in Matthew 22:36-38:
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment.”
We are called to love GOD first and foremost. If we cannot love Him, the One who created us and the One who holds every breath we take in His hands, how are we supposed to love ourselves or anyone else for that matter? Putting ourselves above the Lord is breaking the greatest commandment. It’s also saying to the Lord that WE are more important than HE IS. This slogan should be “love GOD first” not “love yourself first.”
“It’s all about me”
When we make everything all about ourselves, eventually, nothing else is going to matter. We become more important than the others around us, not to mention the Lord Himself. Continuing in Matthew 22:39 Jesus finishes His statement about the greatest commandment with these words: “And the second [commandment] is like [the greatest]: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
When our entire focus revolves around ourselves, there is a lack of concern for others. With this state of mind, ultimately, the heart will grow cold. We become indifferent to others around us. No one else matters but ourselves – our needs, our desires and our lusts are what we seek to fulfill – often times at the expense of those around us. Rather than living like “it’s all about me, why not live like “it’s all about GOD”?
“Follow your heart”
Does your heart really know what’s best for you? How many times have you felt something in your heart was right, for it only to go wrong? Jeremiah the prophet tells us the truth about our hearts in Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?”
Our hearts will eventually deceive us. By nature, we are born into deceit – it is our sin nature. (To learn more about our sin nature, click here). The more we sin, the harder and harder our hearts become. We are walking a very thin line between idolizing ourselves and being separated from God when we follow our own hearts. What we really need to do is “Follow Jesus.” He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Jesus will never deceive us like our own hearts will. In Jesus lies our hope. (To learn more about hope in Jesus, click here).
“Live your truth”
This is probably the most dangerous slogan to live by. If everyone is in charge of “truth” then who determines what actually constitutes truth? Who gets to decide whether something is true or not? If the wrong people are put in charge of the truth, everything we know for certain could be deemed as false, including the Word of God.
For example, if a serial killer’s “truth” is: “people are going to die anyway, so I might as well kill them” should we accept his “truth”? Or what about someone whose “truth” is that the sky is green? Should we comply and encourage that person’s “truth” when we know it to be false? There HAS to be a solid, absolute truth that everyone follows. We cannot have a society where everyone decides what their own truth is just to satisfy their selfish desires.
We all need to stop and think about this for a moment. Would you rather have solid truth to live by or everyone making up their own “truths” that simply suit their OWN lusts, desires, beliefs or needs?
The only absolute TRUTH is God’s Word. Every instruction you need to live your life can be found within the pages of the Bible. God didn’t leave us here to figure it out all on our own or to make it up as we go. We should “live God’s truth” not our own.
The sin of pride, putting ourselves over others, seeing ourselves in a greater light than we are – all these things contribute to the downfall of a moral society. Right now this is the norm, not the exception, and a clear sign that a nation is could be under the judgement of God.
SO…WHAT CAN WE DO?
Whether you are an American or are from any other country in the world, your nation can be saved. By the way, we will not be saved by a mere human being, although God does raise up leaders on our behalf, we will only be saved by turning our focus and our hearts back to the Lord. When we push God out of everything, as the United States has done over the last several years, He will honor our choice to do so and leave us alone until He decides that it’s time for judgement.
God is a Gentleman; He will never force us to serve Him – we must make that decision ourselves. Over the course of my life, I have seen the decline of America rapidly progress and I believe it is because we have sinned against God in more ways than one. God must judge sin, it’s His nature to do so (see Habakkuk 1) and we are at the point where He is going to do just that, if He hasn’t started already.
So, what can we do? Well, earlier I said that the Bible gives us instructions for our lives, and avoiding God’s judgement is no exception. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, we are given instructions on what to do as a nation when faced with the judgement of God.
God says:
“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 will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (1 Chronicles 7:14)
America, we must turn our hearts back to God before it’s too late. This once great country is falling apart, and we have a loving Heavenly Father who is waiting for us to turn from our wicked ways. Let’s pray for revival to sweep across our land. (Click Here to Read Keys to Biblical Revival).
Let’s start today!
Blessings,
Amy
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