The Land Will Be Cursed

Scripture: Malachi 4:5-6

"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. "He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse."

Insights: The last phrase in today’s verses in the part that really frightens me. Let me state again, I did not do the necessary due diligence for this sermon Sunday because of the way the Lord moved that morning. In other words, I do not have the actual statistics for this next statement, therefore, I will use generalities. Of our inmates in the prison system, a fairly large percentage of them come from homes where the father had abandoned them or were for all practical purposes absent from the child’s life. Fathers have a God given ability and responsibility to guide their child(ren) in the paths of righteousness. When a father is not around or is unwilling to take the necessary time to train his child(ren) to conduct himself or herself properly, then the child(ren) is more than likely going to fall prey to wrong influences and make poor life choices. This truth is found in Paul’s words when he wrote, “Bad company corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33).” Understand, not every child that has an absentee father is going to walk the path of prison, but the lack of a healthy father figure affects work ethic, marital fidelity, civic responsibility, recreational appropriateness, and the list can go on and on. For example, children that had a positive relationship with their fathers are better employees, managers and business owners than those who did not have a father actively involved in their lives. Beloved, it is our responsibility to seek our Lord and ask Him for the guidance necessary on how to stem this tide that is rolling across our country leading it down this path of cursing Malachi described. One way I foresee this curse being turned back is through biblical discipleship. If mature men of God would be willing to come alongside a younger man of faith and disciple them in the ways of the Lord, then I can envision a change that can occur in this land.

Questions:

1. Are you willing as a growing and maturing follower of Jesus to disciple a younger man in the faith in order for him to be a better ambassador of Jesus and father to his family?
2. If you are not willing, then what is the reason for your reticence?

Prayer: Father, raise a generation of faithful men who will take serious their charge and responsibility to point their families to Your Son, Jesus. Lord, please, prevent this curse from falling, spreading or going any further in this land than it already has. Let it be purged and removed and let Your name be glorified again throughout America. Amen.