Many, many years ago, the wise man Solomon gave God’s warning to all nations. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Righteousness means living according to God’s teachings and commandments, as contained in His word. The Proverbs writer declares that all nations exist or fall in direct proportion to their respect or in most cases it seems disrespect for God’s moral law. A nation exists until the spiritual or moral salt of righteousness is gone. In the days of Noah, when the entire earth had become evil and corrupt, God determined to wipe it clean and destroy it; yet, by His grace, He extended its time by 120 years. During that period, Noah built the ark in the sight of all and preached righteousness to the people. But they refused to see and hear, for we know that only eight people were prepared to enter the ark before the flood.

The people of Sodom and Gomorrah became “wicked and sinners against Jehovah exceedingly” (Genesis 13:13); therefore, God destroyed them. Abraham interceded for the people and asked God to spare the cities if ten righteous people could be found. The ten were not found, so God destroyed the two cities. When there was no righteousness to preserve the people, they were fit for nothing but to be destroyed (Genesis 18).

I believe that if our nation is to thrive, we must live according to God’s principles of righteousness. We must teach our children to fear God and keep his commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). We must demand that our leaders govern and live by the moral and spiritual principles that made this country great to begin with! “It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness,” for the throne is established by righteousness” (Proverbs 16:12). “The wicked shall be turned back unto the grave, even all the nations that forget God” (Psalms 9: 17).