God Bless America

Today, July 4 - 2009, is the 233rd birthday of The United States of America. The occasion prompted a call from my Canadian friend, Paul Weresch, who wished my nation a happy birthday.

He was remembering the song, “America, America, God shed his grace on thee …” and as we thought about those words Paul also remembered what the Psalmist wrote … “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12).

There has been a lot of negative things said about our democracy but Sir Winston Churchill said it best when he stated, “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”

In a time when the entire world is looking for answers, many are looking to the U.S. to lead as they have so often done in the past. This is the time, my friends, for a strong and vibrant nation … a nation that is not afraid to quote Patrick Henry who declared,

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here."

We must be a nation of people who, like their founding fathers, never tire of mentioning and praising the Lord. George Washington said in his 1796 farewell address, “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.”

As we sing, “My Country, 'Tis of Thee,” we must remember what we are saying; that my country … this country, America … is of You, my Lord. It is a gift from God.

“Our fathers' God, to Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing”

It is to God we sing, for the liberty we have is from Him, because He formulated the true way of liberty … that we love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul, and with all our might; and that we love our neighbors as ourselves. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18)

We also need to remember that if we truly love God, we will also love and care for the whole of His creation; including without exception, all other humans, all the other animals, and the world in which we all live.

Continuing with the last verse of this hymn, “Long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light ...” These United States will not be a bright light to us, or to the world around us, unless that light is the bright and holy light of the Lord from heaven.

As Isaiah said, in 2:5, to the nation of Israel that was turning more and more from the ways of the Lord. “Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord”.

Come all of you who love this land, let us also walk in the light of the Lord, so that nothing will ever happen to our freedom.

You will find to the right of this entry, a link to the Presidential Prayer Team. Go to that link and join with them in prayer for our nation and for our leaders. All of our leaders from the very lowest elected position to the mightiest seat in the world need our prayers.

"It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favors. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States."  - George Washington.

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Paul and I join with the people of our great nation in saying, “Happy Fourth of July and God Bless America!

Larry Abele – Editorial Team