Evangelist Billy Graham's daughter Anne Graham Lotz has noticed that the history of Israel shows some "riveting similarities" to the world today.
"One brief vignette that caught my attention recently is from 2 Chronicles 14-15. After the glorious, golden years of King Solomon, his son, Rehoboam, succeeded him. While Solomon was wise, Rehoboam was arrogant, foolish and in short order had led the southern kingdom away from faith in God," she shares in an article for Charisma News.
God gave a warning to Rehoboam in 2 Chronicles 12:5: "So the Lord says: 'You have abandoned Me, so I have abandoned you into the hand of Shishak.'" God did abandon Rehoboam—even though He spared his life, He still allowed Jerusalem to be ransacked, and all their amassed wealth went to the Egyptians.
"When Rehoboam's grandson, Asa, rose to power, he 'did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God' (2 Chr. 14:2)," Lotz continues the story. "When an army of a million men came against him from the south, he cried out to God, declaring, 'Lord, it is nothing with You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power. Help us, O Lord our God; for we trust in You, and in Your name we come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God. Let no man prevail against You' (2 Chr. 14:11). God honoured his trust by giving him victory."
At the same time, God sent a message to Asa instructing him how to secure lasting peace and victory over his enemies, and it is the same message now that Lotz is delivering to the leaders of the free world—to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leaders of modern-day Israel; to President Barack Obama and the leaders of the United States of America; to President François Hollande and the leaders of France; to Prime Minister David Cameron and the leaders of Great Britain; to Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, Hillary Clinton and other candidates running for president of the United States.
The message comes from 2 Chronicles 15:2 to 7. It says: "The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you all seek Him, He will be found with you. But if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. For a long time Israel has been without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. And at that time there was no peace to the one traveling in or out because there was a great panic on all those who dwelt in the land. They were broken to pieces, nation against nation and city against city, because God confused them with every type of distress. But you all must be strong and not lose heart, for there is a reward for your deeds."
Lotz encouraged world leaders now to seek the Lord while He may be found, and in turn, God will provide them wisdom, peace, and deliverance from their enemies.
