PATRIOTISM & NATIONALISM* (II)


*DAILY DEW 6TH/MAY/2021*

*PATRIOTISM & NATIONALISM* (II)

_Key Bible Text:_
*"From one human being he created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live."* (Acts 17:26 (GNB))
 
_Bible Insight:_
This brings us to the religious implication of man's special relationship to God. It arises from the way God has ordered his life on earth. Paul then explains that 'God did this so that men should seek him...' (Verse 27). What exactly then did God do? 

_'The times set for them and the exact places where they should live'_ could be taken together to refer to the rise and fall of nations. In that case Paul is saying that God has ordered human history, which is, of course, in keeping with Old Testament teaching. One of its key statements is _'When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples...'_ (Deuteronomy 32:8) 

And if we wonder about who has the final say in the struggles for power through invasions and civil wars, the answer is found in God's reminder to Nebuchadnezzar when he had been congratulating himself on his attainments. The chastening in store for him was to be _'until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes'_ (Daniel 4:32)
***

In all these, we need to ruminate what God is up to even in our nation. We also need to decipher what God would expect us to do in view of the affairs of our nation. It is not enough to be nationalistic. If we go by what the 'founders' of our nation fought for on the heels of nationalism, it has definitely not done us much good considering where we are today. Or has it? We need to embrace a patriotism that has its allegiance to what God is interested in. Thus, we can pray-- let your kingdom come and let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven! 

(Culled from Kenneth Prior's The Gospel in a Pagan Society)

MEDITATION:
*Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.* Matthew 6:10 (KJV)

*#David_Joshua_Egbochuo*
*#Thursday_wisdomforliving*
*#Becoming_More_Like_Jesus*
*#Wonders_of_Grace*
*#Hello_May* ❤ 

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