“Ask Not…”
Sometimes as problems or situations arise, I find myself
failing to ask the right question, and when that happens, I may get an answer
that doesn’t really solve my problem. Can anyone relate?
Let’s step back in history a bit. Moses has died and his
successor, Joshua, is leading Israel into the promised land (Canaan), just as
the Lord had promised. In doing so, Israel had miraculously crossed the Jordan river
on foot, 40 years after their ancestors crossed the Red Sea, on foot with Moses.
The promised land was inhabited, and the people there were enemies of Israel…but
something happened as Joshua neared Jerico, in Canaan (Joshua 5:13-14):
Now when Joshua was
near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn
sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or
for our enemies?”
“Neither,” he
replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.”
In this situation, Joshua, like we might today, inquired
whether the man was for him or against him…but since Joshua was on a mission
from the Lord, perhaps Joshua should have asked the man if he was for the Lord
or not.
Similarly, during President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural
address on January 20, 1961, the new president posed the question, “ask not
what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Not
just a patriotic spirit but asking the right question.
Even today, the question is not so much, “is God for us,”
but rather “are we for God?” Do we align ourselves with His will? As we go
about our lives, do we really ponder the phrase “endowed by their Creator” as
written in our nations’ Declaration of Independence? While going forward, encouraging
other veterans to do their civic duty and vote, let us be mindful of asking the
right questions, remembering Who is really in charge, as we pray for our nation.
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