A Devotional Verse From Genesis

And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD  hath blessed me for thy sake.     Genesis 30:27

Laban had the good sense to realize that much of the good life he and his family enjoyed had come from Jacob’s presence in his life every day and over the years. Modern society should recognize the same truth as it pertains to Christian and Jewish faith. Most of the great principles of American life come directly out of biblical teaching.

Some of those great principles are:

A system of laws that hold in check the sinfulness of human beings, so that they are required to be honest and nonviolent, so that people who would otherwise be victims of crime can be protected.

A government expected by God to do good for its people, and obey the same laws all citizens are expected to live by.

A compassion for the least, the last, and the lost: expressed by the church’s being an example to government in feeding the hungry, rescuing addicts, advocating adoption rather than the terminating of life in the human womb, disaster relief, and tolerance of those with whom you might disagree.

The faith expression educates in religion, morals, and the personal responsibility of the individual to be a good person, a good neighbor, a good citizen, and a blessing to the world.

If a society wants freedom it must be a moral society that restricts behaviors that enslave people, and of course Christian and Jewish faith advocate that very thing.

Jesus indicated that his followers were salt. Salt was an important preservative in those ancient days, and illustrates the role of biblical principles preserving society. Remove Christian and Jewish contributions, and influence, from the societies of the world, and even the most modern nation on earth will begin to spiral down from being a peaceful, free land, filled with opportunity into fighting, destruction, fear, and grinding poverty.