Thousands of years ago, the Israelites made a choice.  They asked the prophet Samuel to give them a king to rule over them.  So Samuel did what all prophets do: he went to God and inquired of Him.

God told Samuel to give the people what they wanted, but also instructed him to explain to the people that, by asking for a human being to be their king, they were rejecting the Almighty as their ruler -- the One who knows all, can do all, and has their best interests at heart.

But the people insisted that an earthly king be given to them anyway.  Samuel complied, and Saul was made king.  As events unfolded, God -- no surprise here -- was proved right.  Things turned out terribly for the Israelites.

Instead of listening to the God who, just years earlier, had brought them out of the horrific bondage of slavery in Egypt, the Israelites wanted a person to essentially tell them what to do and to fight their battles for them.

Today in America we're also looking for a savior of sorts.  If a citizen is awake at all, he knows that things have gone from bad to worse.  And now we want a person, or a group of people, to fix it all -- and fast.  But wasn't it the very reliance on a person that made the problems even worse?

When the housing and stock market disaster crashed all around us in 2008, people figured it was time for something completely different.  And voters honestly believed that making history by voting for the first black president was just the ticket.  Many did not care about his background, his content of character -- they just liked the idea of him.  "Hope and Change" became whatever wonderful thing they could imagine.

But inherent in that decision was an awful national offense.  Judging a man based on the color of his skin -- even judging him "good" -- is still racist.  It's "nice racism," but it's racism just the same.  America essentially voted for its own punishment by voting "color" in the last presidential election.

When America was split in two 150 years ago, the death toll and property destruction of the Civil War were the price both North and South paid for America's national sin of slavery.  Now, loss of liberty and a free, capitalist society may be the steep price for racism not dealt with after that bloodiest of conflicts.  America is now firmly under the thumb of a Progressive administration, and individual and marketplace freedoms are being squashed on an almost daily basis.

But is it still possible to "fix" anything at this late date?

The America that was once called "great because it is good" needs to get back to its "goodness" roots.  We citizens need to demand honesty and truth and accountability in our own lives and in our families.  Then we need to demand the same in those who run for office, whatever the party.  We have to stop voting for "the lesser of two evils" and encourage everyone who seeks public office to strive for the greater good -- not just in word, but in deed.  Knowing a person's character is key to getting the right representation and leadership.

Since America was founded as a nation based on Judeo-Christian values, returning to the source of those values -- the Bible -- is the best way to start.  Nothing is stopping any individual from reading, studying, and applying the truths found in Scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments.  In effect, the hope and change so desperately needed in this nation begins at home.  It expands outward from there.

Also fundamental at the founding of this nation was the use of the Bible as the one essential book that every classroom utilized.  Our common denominator, as a free society, was the Good Book.  And no one questioned whether it was separation of church and state or not.  In present-day America, however, maybe it's not even possible to reinstate the Bible, even as an acceptable classroom "reference book."  But if our children can enter the classroom already schooled in biblical essentials at home, things can begin to change in the education system.

Ultimately, though, we can't expect our kids to fight our battles for us.  As conscientious adults, we must bring morality back into our own spheres of influence. Most people who are gung-ho for God on Sundays are silent about Him the rest of the week.  We've become intimidated by the prevailing winds telling us that religion is a private thing.  Speaking up in a gracious and polite fashion would be one possible way to begin.  When coworkers know where you stand, it might help them consider a faith-based perspective as a reasonable position.

"Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country."  Charles E. Weller's words were never truer than they are at this very moment in our nation's history.  The responsibility of the fundamental transformation of America back to its God-fearing roots is up to each individual citizen.  This coming election, we need to vote for restoration if we are to avoid our inevitable demise.