Day 51 – They Desired A Better Country

Wednesday September 12

As we talked about on Day 17, 1967 was a significant year in Canada.  It was our first centennial and Expo 67 was a “coming out” for us as a nation on the world stage.  Declarations were made in and through Expo that represented the spirit of the time – a secularization of the conscience of our nation to take us away from our traditional godly foundations and cause us to put our trust in  the knowledge and excellence of men. 

But another significant event happened in 1967 - the establishment of the Order of Canada.  The Order of Canada is the heart of the honour system in our nation; the way in which we recognize the outstanding achievements of Canadians who represent the spirit and values of our nation for the betterment of Canada and the nations of the world. 

The motto of the Order of Canada is inscribed in Latin on every medal that is awarded:  ''Desiderantes meliorem patriam'', which means "(those) desiring a better country".  It is taken from the well-known passage in Hebrews about the heroes of faith

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them. Heb 11:13-16

We don’t know who suggested the motto and why, but when we read about this recently we felt the Lord speaking to us that He has an order, a divine order for the nation of Canada.  And for His divine order to be established we must be people who “desire a better country”; a people whose longing first and foremost is to see a heavenly kingdom established here on earth.  Because it’s only within the framework of the kingdom of God that we can ever find our true identity and purpose, not only as individuals and churches, but also as the nation of Canada.

Canada is such a unique country.  Woven from the fabric of remnants of every other nation on the earth, we are the only country that defines multiculturalism as a key piece of its national identity.  We don’t assimilate cultures into a Canadian identity; we celebrate and even protect the uniqueness of every colour and tribe and nation that calls this land home.  We are God’s great experiment, living proof that under His blessing all men can live in peace and honour and respect one with another.  

For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon

An assembly of great nations from the north country,

And they shall array themselves against her;

From there she shall be captured.

Their arrows shall be like those of an expert warrior;

None shall return in vain. Jeremiah 50:9

As David Demian shared in his article, The Unity that Releases Authority, Babel (Babylon) represented a unity based on the effort and power of men committed to a common goal (building a tower to reach the heavens).  But God desires through His church to show the world another kind of unity, one based on what Jesus prayed for in John 17 – a unity based in the love of the Father and the Son, filled with the glory (presence of God) that draws men not to themselves and their own achievements but upward to the radiant King of Glory.

As Canadians we believe that the maple leaf prominently displayed on our nation’s flag is prophetically symbolic of a mandate for our nation.  Like the tree of life in Revelation whose leaves brought healing to the nations – we believe that Canada is meant to serve and bring healing to the nations of the world.  In the past we thought this may mean we would send many missionaries and teachers to the nations bringing the gospel of peace.  Certainly this can be one of the ways this mandate to the nations is fulfilled.

But could it be that another facet of this mandate is that as the church of Canada, we are one of the nations who will prepare the way for the body of Christ in other nations by walking in a measure of spiritual unity that will manifest the glory of God?  Could it be this unity that will cause the world to believe in Jesus will be one of the “arrows” sent against the godless humanistic system of Babylon, that puts its faith and trust in the power of men?

The true power of this call to consecration will not be found in the amazing things the Lord has done during these 52 days although we are so grateful for every breakthrough and blessing. But the true power of the call will only be realized to the extent that we see it not as an event or phase in our lives but as the starting point of a commitment to a new way of living as the church of Jesus Christ.  May we choose today to embrace a lifestyle based on knowing God deeply, of living and loving as Jesus did, of laying down our lives in total submission to His Lordship in every area.  May we join the company of the faithful ones throughout generations who “desired a better country” and in so doing, see the divine order of Canada established as God has always purposed.

Let’s pray this prayer of commitment together (for those of you from other nations, we encourage you to insert the name of your nation as you pray).  God, we thank you for our nation, Canada.  We thank You that You have a destiny and purpose for Canada that You have held in Your heart since the foundation of the world. Lord we acknowledge that it is only when we walk as true citizens of the heavenly kingdom that we will see Your divine order being brought to Canada. 

Lord throughout this call You have circumcised our hearts and healed our wounds and even taken away our hearts of stone and given us new, undivided hearts.  We commit today, God, to join the company of the faithful ones and together with them we say “we desire a better country – a heavenly one”. Our hearts echo the cry of Moses Lord: “if You are pleased with us, teach us Your ways so we may know You and continue to find favor with You. Remember that this nation is Your people." (Ex 33:13)  Give us grace O God to live up to what we have already attained.  In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen!