We are just two days away from our country’s two hundred and fiftieth birthday, but the celebrating has been going on for some time. Although we are quite young compared to many countries, this is a big deal!
It’s a big deal because, like no other nation, it was founded on biblical principles and a system of government that had never been tried before. Our constitutional republic democracy has survived wars, disasters, internal strife, and many politicians and others who have unwittingly or deliberately worked to destroy what our founders risked their lives and fortunes to birth. We have many daunting challenges, but thanks be to God, we are still alive and hopeful of many great days ahead.
Here’s a brief background of what happened two and one-half centuries ago that gives us reason to celebrate this milestone birthday of our nation.
The founding fathers who declared independence from England in 1776 realized they were putting their lives and all their possessions at risk. The war with England lasted about eight years, and at the close of that long war, many widows were left to raise their fatherless children. Our country was founded on the sacrifice and blood of thousands of men whose names we will never know.
After the war ended, fifty-five men met in the sweltering heat of Philadelphia to produce the Constitution of the United States of America, the outline of how our country would function under separate branches of government. The Bill of Rights (amendments 1-10) had to be added before the colonies would approve it. Those amendments include freedom of speech and religion, the right to bear arms, and freedom from unlawful searches and seizures of property.
Ben Franklin, at 81, was by far the oldest delegate at the constitutional convention. Once the lengthy debates for approval at the state conventions were over and the thirteen colonies became the United States of America, Franklin is recorded as saying something to the effect, “Now we have a republic, let’s see if we can keep it.” Franklin was a very wise man, knowing a great deal about human nature and the threat our form of government would pose to the power-hungry within and outside our borders. There is a great price to pay for the freedoms we enjoy. Independence Day is supposed to help us remember how we came to be free.
Through the years, patriotic men and women have fought and died on foreign soil as a testament to their love for our country. Like some of you, I have traced the name of a family member on the Vietnam Memorial wall in D.C. and stood in awe and felt an overwhelming sense of sadness and gratitude as my tear-filled eyes surveyed almost ten thousand white crosses at the national cemetery in Normandy, France. These young people laid it all down for us and the preservation of freedom in Europe.
Our freedom isn’t free. But I’m concerned that we have become so lazy, forgetful, arrogant, and ignorant that we could lose much of what others valued to the point of sacrificing their lives.
My primary concern about losing the country so many have died for has little to do with China, Russia, Iran, or Korea. The founding fathers understood that only a moral people could maintain the form of government for which so many have died. God has not abandoned us. In many ways, we have abandoned Him and the ideals on which our nation was founded. Godless laws allow the killing of the unborn; a society that has been deceived into exchanging materialism for the One True God.
Common sense is not “common” anymore. Our national soul is in trouble. We are in dire need of repentance and a return to an emphasis on godly character. It’s time for all believers to wake up to the reality of our gradual slide to destruction. God is our hope and help.
Psalm 46 reminds us: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Many of us are hopeful that the current leadership in Washington, D.C., will solve several of our problems, but we must remember to seek the healing of our country’s soul. The underlying cancer that is eating away at the soul of our nation is our rebellion against God and His teachings. We must return to the God of Washington and Lincoln and acknowledge our dependence on the Lord.
We need a revival of faith and trust in God. Politicians may be able to fix some of the issues that make us uncomfortable, and I hope they will. But God’s people align our actions to conform to His will. We are the salt and light of the world, the preservative and the light in a world system that fights to exalt human pride and eliminate God from our daily and national lives.
My suggestion to us is that we live gratefully every day. Begin your days by acknowledging that your life is a gift from God. Remember how He has seen you through difficult times, thank Him for how He works in your life today, and trust Him to bless our wonderful nation and us for our obedience.
God bless you, and those you love, and God bless America!