Based on the fact that widow Easter (MILLER) NATIONS is living with our subject in the 1850 census (Stoddard Co., MO) and that she and her husband, Joseph NATIONS, are living next door to our subject in the 1840 census (Stoddard Co., MO), I believe these are his parents.  Joseph & Ester married in Dec 1810 in Warren Co., KY, apparently missing the 1810 census.  Joseph was probably in Missouri by 1815, as were other NATIONS from Warren Co., KY, but there was no 1820 census in Missouri Territory, so Joseph first appears in census in 1830 census in Perry Co., MO — with a son the right age to be George.  Perry Co. is adjacent to Cape Girardeau Co., which is adjacent to Stoddard Co., so there are no geographical obstacles here.

Father:  Joseph NATIONS  (1780s-1840s)
Mother:  Ester / Esther / Easter MILLER (1781/2->1850), of SC

The LDS Ancestral File shows these parents for our subject.  Nathan was in the 1810 census of Warren Co., KY, and in Missouri by 1815, on a tax list in Cape Girardeau.
Father:  Nathan NATIONS (1769-1798) — cannot have died in 1798 if on tax rolls in 1815
Mother:  Tabitha Levisa/Louisa STEVENS (1775-1870s)

Another researcher says the father is Nathan, but that the mother is neither Tabitha nor STEVENS.
Father:  Nathan NATIONS (1769-1848)
Mother:  Levisa BANNISTER  (1772-1862)
See Messages in Nations forum at GenForum.com.

— born in Stoddard Co., MO:
4.  Andrew NATIONS, b. 1842/3; d. 1872; no issue
5.  Emily NATIONS, b. 1845/6
6.  Sara / Sarah NATIONS, b. 1848/9
7.  Ellen NATIONS, b. 1851/2
8.  James NATIONS, b. 1854/5
9.  John NATIONS, b. 1856/7

1a.  Jordan R. Dodd, ed.  1993.  Marriage Index:  AR, CA, IA, LA, MN, MO, OR, TX, 1728-1850.  Liahona Research, Orem, UT (Broderbund CD-227):

Nations, George

Stroup, Malinda [Mrs.]

28 Jan 1834

Cape Girardeau Co.

MO

1b.  Jordan Dodd.  1997.  Kentucky Marriage to 1850.  Ancestry.com, Provo, UT (online at Ancestry.com):

Nations, Joseph

Miller, Ester

03 Dec 1810

Warren County

2.  1840 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #1-2 of 21; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1840

MO

Stoddard Co.

Roll 232

pp. 1A-1B

Ln. 30

George Nations

100 010 - 110 010

0100000

These data indicate:

No. & Sex	Age Class	Therefore Born	Individuals Inferred
1 male	4 or under	1835-1840	= Isaac (b. 1839/40)
1 male	20-29	1810-1820	= George (b. 1811)
1 female	4 or under	1835-1840	= Viana (b. 1835/6)
1 female	5-9	1830-1835	= Matilda (b. 1834/5)
1 female	20-29	1810-1820	= Malinda (b. 1816/7)
1	person employed in agriculture

Neither of the STROUP boys is living in the household, which strongly suggests they are Malinda's nephews, not her sons.  Listed one line below Joseph NATIONS (æ 50-60 — 000 000 010 - 000 100 010 | 0100000).

3.  1850 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com; Image #20 of 25):  Pike Twp., Stoddard Co., MO, Roll M432_420, p. 301B, 683/696, enumerated 2 Nov 1850, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1850 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

George Nations	39	M		Farmer	500	Ky
Malinda	33	F				Mo
Matilda	15	F				Mo
Vianah	14	F				Mo
Isaac	10	M				Mo
Andrew	7	M				Mo
Emily	4	F				Mo
Sara	1	F				Mo
Easter Nations	68	F				SC
Lawson Strop	17	M		Farmer		Mo
Joel     "	14	M				Mo

Listed two households from William STROP.

4.  1860 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #4 of 40):  Bloomfield P.O., Pike Twp., Stoddard Co., MO, Roll M653_657, p. 476, PN 124, 981/922, enumerated 4 Sep 1860, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1860 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

George Nations	49	M		Farmer	1000	300	Kentucky
Andrew    "	18	M					Missouri
Emily     "	16	F					"
Sarah     "	11	F					"
Ellen     "	8	F					"
James     "	5	M					"
John      "	3	M					"

Listed two households from William STROUP.

5.  LDS.  Family Search: Internet Genealogy Service:  AF - Ancestral File (online at FamilySearch.org).

6.  Messages posted to the Nations Family Genealogy Forum (online at GenForum.com).