08/20/2026
Shalom Shalom Family! 🕎
I want us to meditate on something important.
We often hear the word “GREAT.” But great does not necessarily mean good. Great can describe power, magnitude, influence, prominence, strength, or impact.
Alexander was called “the Great,” but that title spoke to the magnitude of his conquests and influence—not necessarily his moral goodness.
Scripture gives us a different standard:
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good…” — Micah 6:8
And what is good?
Do justly.
Love mercy.
Walk humbly with Elohim.
Deuteronomy 6:25 connects righteousness with observing and doing what YHWH commanded.
And Proverbs 29:2 tells us:
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”
So when examining any nation or ruler, the biblical question shouldn’t only be:
“Are we becoming GREAT?”
We should also ask:
Are we becoming GOOD?
Are we doing JUSTICE?
Are we showing MERCY?
Are we walking in RIGHTEOUSNESS?
Are our leaders walking HUMBLY?
And there is another test Yahshua gives us:
WORDS AND FRUIT.
Yahshua said:
“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” — Matthew 12:34
Our words matter because they reveal what is within the heart.
But we don’t stop with words.
Yahshua also said:
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” — Matthew 7:20
So when examining leadership:
Listen to the WORDS.
Examine the ACTIONS.
Look at the FRUIT.
Compare ALL THREE with the WORD.
And Scripture tells us to pay particular attention to how power treats those with less power.
Zechariah 7:9–10 teaches:
Execute true judgment.
Show mercy and compassion.
Do not oppress the widow.
Do not oppress the fatherless.
Do not oppress the stranger.
Do not oppress the poor.
So when a government claims greatness, we should ask:
How are the vulnerable being treated?
How is the stranger being treated?
How are the poor being treated?
Is power being exercised with justice AND mercy?
Because Scripture tells us what actually exalts a nation:
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” — Proverbs 14:34
Notice that!
Scripture doesn’t say POWER exalts a nation.
It doesn’t say WEALTH exalts a nation.
It doesn’t say MILITARY STRENGTH exalts a nation.
It says:
RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTETH A NATION.
Daniel 5 gives us another warning.
Belshazzar possessed tremendous power, yet he lifted himself up in pride and dishonored the vessels taken from the Temple in Jerusalem.
Daniel told him:
“Thou…hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this.” — Daniel 5:22
That very night his kingdom fell.
And Proverbs warns:
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” — Proverbs 16:18
This is the pattern we must recognize:
POWER without HUMILITY can become PRIDE.
GREATNESS without RIGHTEOUSNESS can become OPPRESSION.
AUTHORITY without MERCY can become CRUELTY.
Family, GREATNESS is not the same thing as GOODNESS.
A nation can have great power and still lack justice.
A ruler can have great influence and still lack mercy.
A kingdom can become great while moving farther away from righteousness.
But we must also be careful: this biblical measuring rod cannot change depending upon who occupies the seat of power.
Whether we like the ruler or dislike the ruler, Scripture remains the standard.
Justice is still justice.
Mercy is still mercy.
Righteousness is still righteousness.
Pride is still pride.
And wickedness is still wickedness.
So as we watch what is happening in our country and throughout the world, don’t merely listen to slogans.
Listen to the WORDS.
Examine the ACTIONS.
Inspect the FRUIT.
Look at how the VULNERABLE are treated.
And compare everything with the WORD.
Because the question is not simply:
“Are we GREAT?”
The biblical question is:
“Are we GOOD, JUST, MERCIFUL, RIGHTEOUS, and HUMBLE before YHWH?”
And perhaps the question we should meditate upon next is:
What does YHWH Himself call a GREAT nation?
Read Deuteronomy 4:6–8.
Because Scripture doesn’t leave us to define greatness for ourselves.
YHWH tells us what makes a nation great.
Selah. 🕎
