Here are some excerpts from a little book written by Billy Graham. It was written in 1953 and then re-published. The one I have is from 1977.

I picked up a little book that I have had since 1977. This book is by Billy Graham and is called Peace With God. I like that title because it describes the desire of my heart. There is something so wonderful about peace. Peace is contentment, fullness, joy, and many other good emotions.

Let me share a couple of comments by BillyGraham

So where are we? you ask. Where are we now and where are we going? Let me tell you where we are and what we are. We are a nation of empty people. Our heads are crammed full of knowledge, but within our souls is a spiritual vacuum.  (Remember please that this was written in 1963)

We complain that the youth of this country has lost its drive, its push, its willingness to work and to get ahead. Parents don’t seem to realize that their well-educated, carefully brought up children are actually empty inside.

America is said to have the highest per capita boredom of any spot on earth! We know that because we have the greatest variety and greatest number of artificial amusements of any country. People have become so empty that they can’t even entertain themselves.

You may think that boredom is a minor matter. Everyone gets bored sometimes, it’s only natural. But let me tell you something about boredom, and this dangerous apathy that is creeping over the land and over the minds and hearts of the people. Man is the only one of God’s creatures who is capable of being bored with itself or it’s surroundings. This is very significant, for the Creator never does anything without a purpose, and if He gave man the capacity for boredom, He did it for a purpose.

Boredom is one of the sure ways to measure your own inner emptiness! It’s as accurate as a thermometer for telling just hollow your inner spirit really is. The person who is thoroughly bored is living and working in a vacuum. It is one of the unfailing rules of this universe that all vacuums must be filled, and filled immediately.

We do not have to go back to ancient times to see what happens to a nation of empty people. We need look no further than the recent history of Germany, Italy, and Russia to see with what deadly speed nature fills up the vacuums that occur within us. Fascism and Communism can find no place in the heart and soul of a person who is filled with the Sprit of God, but it floods with the greatest ease into the minds and hearts of those who are empty and waiting. Nature abhors a vacuum, but it is up to us as individuals to determine with what our inner vacuums will be filled.

So, that is where we stand today–a nation of empty people.

There is much more….

I now have a greater understanding of why our politicians are in the trouble they are today!

One last paragraph from this book.

So that is where we stand today–a nation of empty people. We have tried to fill ourselves with science and other things we thought we wanted,, but we are still empty. Why are we empty? Because the Creator made us for Himself; and we shall never find completeness and fullness apart from fellowship with Him.

My own thoughts again.

As I look at the political situation in the world and the wars and rumors of wars and remember the scripture that talks about Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden….Matt. 11:28

labor: to grow weary, tired, exhausted (with toil or burdens or grief)
1. to labour with wearisome effort, to toil

It is so easy to understand why some people choose the easy way out and want the government to be their sugar daddy… they are empty inside…they are weary…they have a huge load they must carry but don’t want to carry and they are bored.  There is a spiritual vacuum within the hearts and lives of a very large portion of our populous.

Ask yourself, what can I do

 Please forgive the way this post looks.  For some reason Word Press has upgraded from a perfectly fine form of  blog style to this one that will not accept any edits and seems to have an idea of it’s own about how to space things.

 

We are going on what may appear to be a short side journey in our study this morning. But, I firmly believe it is the Word of the Lord to those of us who come to this study table and share the Word of the Living God together. You will find by the time you finish reading this that it truly is about our present study in our quest to be filled with light and not darkness.

As a group of people we know much more about what is going on in the political arena both here and around the world than many do. We constantly share with one another and try to stay up to date . We study the Word both to feed ourselves and to share with others and become excited about the truth we see about the end of time. In some ways that is an overwhelming way to live. We do it because of the prize that is before us.  The “vision” planted into each of our hearts and spirits knowing this is just the seed of the knowledge of what the Lord wants us to do to further His Kingdom.
But, the man on the street in our country only knows what they hear by the main stream media or the conversations they hear in the bar or latest movie or sporting event. Lord help our nation to return to the God in whose Name our country was founded. We are vessels to be used in making that happen.
There has long been a cry in my own heart and spirit to be in the presence of the Lord face to face and to bow before Him and sing Holy, holy, holy and worship Him. I am overwhelmed by His love and presence in my life and love to sit with Him and enjoy the Word and bask in His presence…I love to go to the house of the Lord and enjoy the praises and worship with the rest of the body of Christ that is gathered there.
I have long been excited about the truth that there will be a great outpouring of the tears of the saints as they have petitioned the Lord for the souls of people. Scripture teaches us that those tears are bottled up and will at the appointed time be poured out upon the earth in one great outpouring that will result in a mighty influx of new born Christians to join with those who are already saved and working for the King of Kings. I do not want to miss that time, some of my tears are up there and they are intermingled with the tears of mothers and fathers, grandparents, aunts and uncles and prayer warriors of centuries. These tears were not shed in vain….they have been seeds of faith and petition that will bring forth fruit, much fruit, more fruit, endless amounts of fruit.

When I consider all of these truths I am appreciative but I am angry as well.
How dare the enemy try to wear the people of God down so that we are more concerned with the issues of life than we are in the need to continue in prayer for souls. We move the hand of God through prayer…never ever let that truth be lost in all of the cares of life and what is going on all around us.
I will not allow the enemy, that lousy, vile, devil to take my blessing.
Most of our family and friends stay overwhelmed with their daily job or lack of job, sports, and entertainment of all sorts and daily living. They don’t want to hear the news. I have seen several “man on the street” interviews in the past few months and either they are choosing people who are dumb as door knobs or people really don’t know what is going on around them.
It is for such a time as this, that those of us who are concerned about our nation, which seems to be descending into an abyss of mental fatigue and dumbness, to use the weapons at our disposal to unite and call ourselves and those in our sphere of relationship to the “vision” of a victorious life. What weapons you ask….the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
The scripture tells us, that without a vision people dwell carelessly.. Lord help us to be visionaries who can project Your love in such a way that others are drawn to the light of Your presence and understand they can find rest for their souls.
When a situation seems too big I often say “all I can do is pray”.  Truth?  You bet!  The Lord has challenged me with those words.
I KNOW IT SOUNDS A BIT TRITE TO SAY ALL WE CAN DO IS PRAY….BUT, ALL WE CAN DO IS PRAY…HEY, ALL WE CAN DO IS PRAY….OUR PRAYERS MOVE THE HAND OF GOD…HE SAID IF 2 OR 3 OF US AGREE AS TOUCHING ANYTHING IT SHALL BE DONE. OH YES!….ALL WE CAN DO IS PRAY.
WE ARE A POWERFUL ARMY OF PRAYER WARRIORS! OH YES, WE ARE MASTER PRAYERS!!!
PRAY AND MOVE THE HAND OF GOD. MIGHTY THINGS HAPPEN WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE PRAY. OH IT’S NOT US THAT DOES IT, IT IS THE HAND OF GOD MOVING ON OUR BEHALF
OH YES,
OH YES,
OH YES,
ALL WE CAN DO IS PRAY!!!
WE PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER….WE PRAY FOR OUR FAMILIES….WE PRAY FOR OUR COUNTRY….WE PRAY….AND THEN WE GO….WE GO FORTH AND MAKE DISCIPLES….WE GO FORTH AND CHANGE THE CIRCUMSTANCES. [WE GO FORTH AND AS THE OLD SONG SAYS: RESCUE THE PERISHING, CARE FOR THE DYING] PRAY THE PRAYER OF FAITH THAT HEALS THE SICK, RAISES THE DEAD..
FOR HOW LONG? I DON’T KNOW! BUT WE ARE PROMISED A GREAT AND MIGHTY END TIME REVIVAL FUELED  BY THE FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD…AN IN-GATHERING OF ASTRONOMICAL  SIZES, AND I WANT TO BE AROUND FOR THAT.
Please spend some time reflecting on the following scripture with the thought in mind that the LORD is calling to a specific group that he called My people that do not seem to understand the meaning of humility and addressing their lifestyles as wicked ways. Read some of the meanings per. strongs

2Ch 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
(humble per Strongs..subdued)
(wicked ways…bad, disagreeable, malignant, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery) displeasing,bad (of value),worse than, worst (comparison),sad, unhappy, evil (hurtful), bad, unkind (vicious in disposition),bad, evil, wicked (ethically),in general, of persons, of thoughts,deeds, actions)
(heal — sew together, mend)

Our current phase in the study has been getting wisdom. I challenge you to understand that in the getting of wisdom which will be evident to all of those around us we must be obedient to the Word of God in our own lives. It is not what we know that will cause us to shine for Him it is what we do for Him.

It is not in many words that we will move the hand of God..it is by turning from the things that do not bring glory to Him and turning towards Him with a heart full of love, honor and respect and complete truth that we will move the hand of God for nations…not just the one we live in, but around the world.

MY PRAYER TODAY IS:
LORD, TODAY I ASK THAT YOU MOVE IN MY LIFE…I REPENT OF ANY AND ALL WICKED WAYS THAT ARE IN ME AND ASK FOR YOUR HUMILITY AND WISDOM TO BE EVIDENT FOR ALL AS I ASK THAT YOU COME AND HEAL OUR LAND OH LORD. WE ARE A MESS…MANY HAVE TURNED TO OTHER GOD’S AND OTHER WAYS THAT ARE NOT OF YOU AND ON BEHALF OF ALL WHO HAVE READ THIS BLOG TODAY LORD, I ASK THAT YOU WILL COME AND RESTORE OUR LAND. NOT JUST THE USA LORD BUT THE LAND OF EVERY ONE WHO READS THIS BLOG. I ASK NOW ON THEIR BEHALF FOR A GREAT RENEWAL IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD SO THAT WE CAN BE EFFECTIVE WITNESSES OF YOUR LOVE AND BE USED TO GATHER IN THOSE WHO ARE SITTING IN THE DARKNESS OF  THE VALLEY OF DECISION.
IN YOU MATCHLESS, HOLY, WONDERFUL NAME….AMEN