As Gale and I were wrapping up a renovation project at our house some time ago, there was one small item that we wanted and we figured it was something that we could obtain easily at a local retailer.  When we went to purchase it, we could not find it.  Then we tried another place, and then a few others, but no success.

A little while later I was in a store looking for something else and happened to look there beside me only to discover the very thing we had been searching for previously!  It had probably been there all the time, but we overlooked it because we were not paying proper attention.

The Bible records the interesting story of some hard hitting events in the life of Job.  When we think of Job we usually think of a person who got the attention of both God and Satan because of his righteous life.  We also remember him as a man who was wealthy, and as a man who went through an exceedingly difficult season of hardships.  All of those things are correct, but maybe we pay less attention to Job’s devotion to his family.

The first chapter of the Book of Job states that Job’s children had feasts in their homes.  Job paid attention to what his children were doing out of his concern that they were possibly involving themselves in activities that were not pleasing to God.  Verse 5 states that “When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified.  Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.”  This was Job’s regular custom” (New International Version).

Job was a well known and much respected man, so for his children to involve themselves in activities that ran contrary to his faith in God could have caused him to distance himself from his children.  However, rather than disowning them, he chose to seek God for their spiritual well being.  Why?  Because he was paying attention to the spiritual needs of his children.

As we enter into this season of celebrating our nation’s independence, we would do well to pay attention to the needs of our country.  Rather than only complaining about our national needs and concerns, we need to do for our nation what Job did for his children; we need to call out to God, asking for His forgiveness and intervention.  We need to pay attention to the direction that our national leaders are leading us in.  We need to pay attention to the lack of reliance upon God that is growing in our land.

This is a great land that has been tremendously blessed by God, and a nation that has been greatly used by God for many years.  It is also a land that is in need of spiritual renewal.  If we, as God’s people, will stop and pay attention to what is taking place across our land, surely we will become more concerned and more willing to do for our nation what Job did for his children:  appeal to God for forgiveness and restoration.

What we need as a nation is nearby and within reach:  forgiveness and restoration.  It is our responsibility to open our spiritual eyes and take up the practice of sincerely calling out to God on behalf of our nation.  We cannot afford to put it off to a more convenient time.  Now is our opportunity to pour out our hearts to God for America.