When reading the book of Lamentations, my mind goes back to the dedication of the temple and the majesty, beauty and grandeur described:

• The Shekinah glory that filled the temple and the humble prayer of Solomon.

• Josiah, who read the words written and realized his nation was headed down the wrong path.

• Those after Josiah who returned to the same old paths that led to their downfall.

For those of us who live in the United States, look at our country and all that we have been blessed with. Some call the U.S. the wealthiest nation that ever was, but most do not realize that our power and strength have not been by our own hands or our own righteousness. We no longer give credit to God or even consider that it could all end.

The distress in the words of Lamentations highlight the plight of our great nation that has been a different kind of government in the world, and is also coming to an end. Compared to empires of old, we assisted as much or more than we sought to conquer. In many instances, we did not go after all of the wealth of other nations but sought to share ours and help others come to a better form of government that cared about the people.

All the governments of man down through time have reached a point where they grew fat and complacent, allowing debauchery and the destruction of the family and morals that made them strong. God warned ancient Israel and it is recorded for us to take to heart. However, it seems that we never learn.

Deuteronomy 8:10 says, “When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end—then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ "

Overall God will show mankind by His 1,000-year reign that there is a way to lasting peace and prosperity, but it is not in man to find that way to peace. It only comes from writing the laws of God on our hearts and caring about others and their wellbeing as much as we do about ourselves.

All of humanity will someday see that the history of mankind's rule apart form God has been written in blood—starting with righteous Abel.

We must put our focus on what is to come to not be overcome with sadness for ancient Israel and Judah and for our nation that has forgotten what truly makes a nation great.