The COVID-19 plague in America has exposed the soft underbelly of America’s security and prosperity. Falsely believed by most Americans and arrogantly touted by the political elite that our security and economy was invincible, even the proud and ignorant have stumbled and grasped for answers during this plague.

Our nation’s response to this unexpected and invisible enemy has separated families, divided grandchildren from their grandparents, prevented physical church gatherings, cancelled thousands of preplanned events and ceased regular education. It’s even confined people to their own homes like house arrest. So what needs have been showcased? What should we be learning?

A Wakeup Call

As a thief in the night, this unseen enemy sneaked in among us and achieved the unthinkable. It’s wounded our economy — the strongest in the world. It’s reordered our priorities in a matter of weeks. Like the statue of Baal in the Philistines’ temple of long ago, America’s “gods” of security, wealth, entertainment, sports, personal gratification and busyness now lie humbled, face down in obeisance to Someone greater. As God divinely demonstrated His power over the gods of “mighty” Egypt 3,500 years ago, He’s allowed something powerful to happen to us.

A wakeup call to America as whole? Certainly. But a trumpet alert to God’s people? Absolutely! It’s a slow-motion 9/11. The questions to those who say we know God are: What will we do about this wake-up alarm? In whom will we now trust? How will our priorities and understanding of God’s role in our lives and our nation’s future be reordered?

To not intentionally refocus our lives and our trust will only be to pivot to some lesser false “god,” the “god” of man or government, or some other lie. So, what do we need to understand and what do we need to do?

We Have a Choice to Make

Before us, we have two choices with two different paths and two different results. Choices have consequences, and we’re all making choices in our forced-altered lives.

Government leaders are choosing how to spend more money and how far to plunge our indebted nation even more into debt. Our leaders are choosing more government subsidies and programs and greater limitations on our freedoms. Their “god” is evident.

Medical “experts” are choosing among more impact models, “solutions” like vaccines, and also permanent surveillance, immunity papers and other unheard-of violations of civil liberties. Their “god” is evident.

How are you choosing? Who are you choosing? The choices that really matter are being determined today and tomorrow — right now, not next year. Is God and God’s way our choice or is it the god of government? Will God’s people choose Him and His ways, or will we choose our own way and with the culture re-erect the false gods of entertainment, sports or materialism?

Choosing to Serve the Lord

Through this plague, certain physical needs have been exposed. Making certain policy and personal adjustments are wise. Yet, our greatest need is spiritual and revolves around which god we will trust and conform our lives to. If our sick and divided nation is ever to be restored, our broken and hurting families healed, prosperity renewed, security from our enemies and God’s favor on our land returned, God’s people must choose God and then lead the way.

Once a choice is made to serve the Lord, there are 10 needs we must understand and live:

1. We need to develop a healthy fear of God

• Have no other god before Me. — Exodus 20:1-6
• Obey God, serve Him and fear Him. — Deuteronomy 13:4
• Rehearse history and teach of God’s power so your children learn to fear God. — Deuteronomy 31:13
• The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge. — Proverbs 2:5
• Select only leaders who fear God. — Exodus 18:21
• The sum total of instruction to all mankind is to fear God. — Ecclesiastes 12:13

2. We need to re-embrace the biblical authority of Scripture.

• All Scripture is profitable for life and living. — 2 Timothy 3:14-17
• Living it establishes a person’s path. — Psalm 119:105
• It is true from the beginning and forever. — Psalm 119:160
• God’s Word is healing. — Proverbs 4:20-22
• God’s Word is fixed, settled and unchanging. — Psalm 119:89

3. We need an awareness that the Church is disobedient, lethargic and asleep.

• Christ’s warnings to the seven churches and to Laodicea. — Revelation 2-3, Revelation 3:14-22

4. We need an awareness that 70% of the pulpits in America are occupied by “hirelings.”

• George Barna survey — only 30% of the pulpits in America believe in the Authority of Scripture
• Hirelings refuse to warn of spiritual danger and the wolves. — John 10:12-13

5. We need a boldness to identify and call out the false prophets in the wolves among us.

• Christ warned of the false prophets and wolves. — Matthew 7:15, Matthew 10:16, Matthew 24:24
• Jesus warned of mass deception in the last days. — Matthew 24:3-5
• Test the words of those who speak because many are false prophets. — 1 John 4:1-3

6. We need the understanding that national blessing or national judgment hinges on the actions of the remnant.

• “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.” — 2 Chronicles 7:14

7. We need to believe that persecution is coming upon us and this is normal for the believer and the person actively standing for truth.

• All who live according to God’s commands will suffer persecution. — 2 Timothy 3:12
• The enemies of truth will persecute you. — Luke 21:12, John 15:20

8. We need to understand that the preparation for prayer and meeting God’s requirements for prayer is far more important than the act of praying.

• God demands a broken spirit and obedience before sacrifice. — Psalm 51:16-17
• God demands we pray His way: No unconfessed sin. — Psalm 66:18
• Pray with faith — believing, according to God’s will, with pure motives. — James 4:3

9. We need to understand that the continuance of freedom is a result of God’s blessing and the hinge pin of obedience and conformity to God’s commands.

• Don’t forget that all blessings came from God and if you forget and become ungrateful, God will replace blessings with bondage. — Deuteronomy 8:1-20, Deuteronomy 30:1-20

10. We need to understand that the choice for president or other elected leaders, while critically important, is secondary to repentance toward God and the choice for God.

• God raises up. Obey, and I’ll make even your enemies to be at peace with you. — Proverbs 16:7

I pray that America, led by the pulpits, implemented by fathers and mothers, elected leaders and citizens, will do as Joshua did: “As for me and my house, we will serve (choose) the LORD!” (Joshua 24:15)

The Hon. Sam Rohrer is president of the American Pastors Network, www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net, a national network of pastors with constitutional and biblical teachings that discusses today’s pressing issues. He was a Pennsylvania lawmaker for 18 years and hosts the daily “Stand in the Gap Today” national radio program on more than 400 stations and Host of the “Stand in the Gap” national television program.