One Nation United Under God
This year we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the founding of this great nation. That means 250 years of the blessing of being the only truly free nation on earth. What separated the United States from the rest of the world? The answer is quite simple; we were one nation united under God.
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This nation was founded under faith in Christ. Faith so strong, that the founding fathers of the United States were led in prayer by Reverend Jacob Dutches in 1774, at the meeting of the Continental Congress for the safety, and guidance of Lord Jesus. Part of that prayer he asked, “Be thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things in the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people.” Then Reverend Duches closes the prayer with, “All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior. Amen.”. Tensions were growing between the colonies and Great Britain. These men wanted to be free of the tyranny that was being forced upon them by King George III. They were such devout Christians, that they prayed for guidance and wisdom. They literally sought Christ for help.
If we take the time to think about the fact that we were at war with Great Britain, and we had only 13 colonies here on this continent. The population in the colonies were about 2.4-2.5 million, where Great Britain had a population of 7.5-8 million (https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/12/boston-tea-party.html). You see, the colonies were severely out matched, and under estimated. Great things can happen when you have God on your side. Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”.
What exactly does it mean to be united under God? First, we must reject the lifestyles of sin that have so abundantly become acceptable. We need to get back to the basic idea of respect. Mark 12:31 tells us, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”. We need to turn away from the plague of hatred that has taken over this nation. Just because we may have different lifestyles, or beliefs of someone, does not mean that they are less than us. God loves each and every one of us equally. We must pray for the forgiveness, guidance, and protection of Jesus Christ our Savior. We must do as our nation’s founding fathers did. 1 John 4:16 says, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”.
The next step is to pray for each other. Pray for those we love, pray for those that cross us, and pray for those that desire to be our enemies. Luke 6:28 states, “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”. Granted, by human nature, this is more easily said than done. This is a task that we can seek strength and guidance from Christ. We should also pray for our nation, and the leaders of this great nation. Pray for their well-being, and that they welcome the guidance and wisdom of Christ. Being mature and owning our mistakes is crucial. This does not mean that we should be apologetic for offending someone, nor should we expect an apology for being offended. To think that we will never be offended is delusion. James 5:16 tells us, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it works.”
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When we choose to follow the Word of God, and show love to one another, the evil will begin to dissipate quickly. People will become more loving towards us in turn. Respect will be given without people thinking that it must be earned. All because God will be on our side. Be a proud Christian, treat others as Jesus treated those he saved. Who knows, your kindness might just save someone and bring them to Jesus Christ our Savior. Mathew 20:25-26 says, “Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their higher officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant”.
This 4th of July, celebrate the freedoms that we have, the freedoms that were paid for in the blood of those that were brave enough to sacrifice it all. Celebrate the bravery of those that fought to found our beautiful country. Celebrate each other, the blessings of those we have in our lives, those in our communities. Celebrate Jesus Christ that gave his life so that we may be redeemed. Without faith in Christ, we would not have been blessed with 250 years of these freedoms.
Until next time, celebrate safely, stay humble, and pray harder.
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Written by,
Evan Gersper Created Outdoors Staff Writer