"Sick Around America"

Just watched Frontline, the regular PBS documentary series on the pressing issues of our time, investigative stories, and personal narratives. Yesterday, Frontline aired a story about healthcare in America.

Some thoughts about what I learned;

1. A civilized nation where its citizens die because they cannot obtain the proper medical treatment is embarrassing. The people of the United States, the most powerful, the most developed, the most affluent, and the most medically advanced nation in the world, need to wake up and take care of its own citizens.

2. Healthcare in America needs to reduce the astronomical cost of heath insurance. That involves all parties that contribute to the cost of healthcare in America: health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, doctors, new medical technologies and innovations, and especially those patients who's poor lifestyle choices burden the entire system.

3. The people of the United States need to look at other countries that have healthcare systems that work which is every other developed country in the world. The United States cannot be afraid to learn from countries that are doing things better.

I sincerely believe that healthcare is one of the defining issues for America. This issue must be solved now or there will be serious consequences for this country. America will inevitably be sharing the world leadership stage with some other rising countries sooner or later. The question is will America be able to stay on the stage for long.

All great nations come and go but only one Kingdom lasts for eternity. Matthew 24:13-14

This connects similarly with todays bible reading: Deuteronomy 30:16-20

This is what God tells Moses to tell the people of Israel as they are about the enter the promise land as a warning;

^"16If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. ¹⁷But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, ¹⁸I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. ¹⁹I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, ²⁰loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."

I have really enjoyed reading through Deuteronomy these few months. I was led to read this book in particular at this time because I think there are a handful of precious lessons God wants to remind me of especially at this season of my life.

Reading this book has been for some reason very deep and purposeful this time around. Just as God reminded a new generation of Israelites of His laws and commandments, promises and blessings, curses and judgment, I have a renewed sense of holiness, awe and adoration for these Old Testament laws. These laws, commandments, blessings and curses are timeless characteristics of God. This is who God is and even though Deuteronomy is only a few chapters long, I learned just a little bit more about Him. In His infinite wisdom, by His grace He reveals something of Himself to me as I read these timeless words of Moses. I hope these precious words sink deep into the depths of my heart.

God, mold my character into Your likeness. Word of God speak.