Repair the Breach
“And your righteous will go before you; The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst…Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell.” – Isaiah 58:8b-9a, 12
As representatives of Jesus Christ, we have been called and appointed to repair the breach. The great statesman Edmund Burke said that “whatever disunites man from God, also disunites man from man.” If we truly desire unity across the nation, this outcome is directly dependent upon our willingness to join together as “one nation, under God,” petitioning the Almighty for His blessing upon us in our posture of repentance. Uniting in prayer will strengthen the ties that bind us together as Americans, and collectively appropriate the benefits promised by our Creator to those who humbly seek Him.
Faith has always been the golden strand that binds Americans together – faith not only in the promises and benefits of freedom, but ultimately, in the grace and benevolence of God whose hand has sustained and upheld this country throughout its history. Benjamin Franklin understood this when he said: "The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And, if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? I therefore beg leave to move, that henceforth prayers, imploring the assistance of heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business…”
Though we desire to see our nation healed, we must acknowledge our present circumstances. There is a great breach in America today! Paul Harvey (1965) was right. We have become a society in dishevelment, removing God from every aspect of our national lives – schools, businesses, media, government and even our churches. “Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that His justice cannot sleep forever” - Thomas Jefferson, 1785. We have turned our back on the living God and provoked Him to anger. He must, therefore, execute judgment. Yet, in earnestness, we cry out to God on behalf of this nation that He would stay His holy hand and restore us to Himself. We do this that generations not yet born may praise and know the Lord! We simply cannot rest while we are on a course to self-destruction.
In order to reaffirm this nation’s reliance upon the God of the universe, I encourage all Americans to gather in prayer on her behalf. In so doing, we realize the promise found in Scripture: “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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” - II Chronicles 7:14
Join with me in praying a prayer once shared by the late Rev. Billy Graham:
Our Father and our God, we praise You for Your goodness to our nation, giving us blessings far beyond what we deserve. Yet, we know all is not right with America. We deeply need a spiritual renewal to help us meet the many problems we face.
Convict us of sin. Help us to turn to You in repentance and faith. Set our feet on the path of Your righteousness and peace.
We pray today for our nation’s leaders. Give them the wisdom to know what is right, and the courage to do it.
You have said, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” May this be a new era for America, as we humble ourselves and acknowledge You alone as our Savior and Lord.
This we pray in Your holy name, Amen.
John Bornschein
Senior Pastor
Calvary Fellowship Fountain Valley
