2 Chronicles 29: Our Only Hope is in God

Our fathers were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the LORD our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the LORD’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him. They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel.  Therefore, the anger of the LORD has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes.  This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity. - 2 Chron. 29:6-9 NIV

Anyone that wants to understand the current world state of affairs, must look no further than Solomon. "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again, he says; there is nothing new under the sun.There is nothing new under the sun."  Eccl. 1:9 NIV

Over and over again, history has repeated itself.  When rulers and nations follow God, they prosper.  When they do not, they always meet the same end, they fall, or as the Chronicler says, they become an "object of dread and horror and scorn...this is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity."  We cannot blame the state of our nation on any other enemy.  We are the only ones at fault.

In that same vein, regardless of whether it's a nation or an individual, the same fate awaits all of God's children when we choose not to follow him.  He will use any means to get our attention.  He will raise up our enemies and cause us to seek advice from those who only have their own best interests at heart.  Our lives will be thrown into confusion and our minds into captivity.  Any hope other than in God is only an illusion.