“LORD, You are my fortress, my place of safety; You are my God, and I trust you." – Psalm 91:2
Happy 235th Birthday America! But you knew that already.
What you may not know - or forget - is that America is a nation under God founded on Christian values. All but two of the fifty six (56) signers of the Declaration of Independence were Christians; 27 held theology degrees. Two of the Continental Congress’ first actions were to hire military chaplains and to purchase 20,000 Bibles to remedy a national shortage.
On this day in 1776, our founding Fathers declared independence from British rule, allowing for the formation of our own separate government. The ‘Declaration’ serves as the cornerstone of our great nation and was based on the fundamental belief that our ‘Creator’ was the source for irrevocable human rights.
Fast forward more than two centuries. Cities and towns all over America still celebrate the Fourth of July. Families and friends get together; we’ll watch parades; hear patriotic speeches and music; honor the flag; and hold family reunions. At the end of a long, fun day, we’ll watch brilliant fireworks explode across the dark, night sky to celebrate our freedom.
Every time we spend a dollar bill in this country, we acknowledge the remarkable fact that this country was built upon trust in God. Not some generic god, but the God of the Holy Bible.
When the entire stadium stands just before the start of any sporting event to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” we again place our trust in God Almighty. The fourth stanza has a phrase that goes, "And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust!'
As we stand before the American flag, and "Pledge Allegiance” to it, we affirm that we are "One nation under God," - the same Judeo-Christian God that our founders admired.
Some will argue for a clear separation of church and state. That’s about as possible as extracting hydrogen from the air we inhale. It’s doable – but leaves us with something we can’t breathe.
So as I celebrate Independence Day, I’ll pause and thank God singing, "America! America! God shed His grace on thee." For there is no greater liberty than the freedom from sin and death that the God I trust, provides for me.
On this July 4th, I’ll remember that my freedom came at a very high price – the cost of other’s lives. I’ll not take my freedom for granted. I’ll keep in mind that poverty and violence anywhere weakens our nation everywhere. And I’ll trust God more from this day forward.
My God, since the beginning You gave us the right, the power, and the freedom to choose, between light and darkness, good or evil, love or hate. Give me the strength to be a blessing in someone else's life today, and grant me the opportunity to lead others into the freedom that can be found in knowing Christ. Amen
