This weekend I had the opportunity to visit my in-law's church. On Saturday night, they had a special Memorial Day program at the church. It was a wonderful tribute to the men and women who serve us - sometimes with their lives - and it was a strong reminder of the impact that Christianity has had on our country.
As either the choir or the audience sang these patriotic songs, I was amazed at how many songs make clear reference to Almighty God as the source of freedom and liberty in which America has been blessed. Take for instance the first two stanzas of America :
My country, ‘tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing.Land where my fathers died,
Land of the Pilgrims’ pride,
From every mountainside
Let freedom ring.Our fathers’ God, to Thee
Author of liberty
To thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!
God is indentified as the Author of liberty and our King. Or have you really noticed the plea for God's grace on our country in the song America the Beautiful?
Oh beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majestiesAbove the fruited plain. America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea.Oh beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress.
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness.
America! America!
God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.
Or have you ever noticed that The Navy Hymn not only acknowledges God as a creator able to control the seas and heavens, but that it calls out to Him in prayer to save, to show grace, and to be a shield?
E- ter- nal Fa-ther, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the rest-less wave,
Who bidd'st the might-y o-cean deep,
Its own ap-point-ed lim-its keep.
Oh hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in per-il on the sea! A-men.
E- ter- nal Fa-ther, lend Thy grace --To
those with wings who fly thro' space,
Thro wind and storm, thro' sun and rain,
Oh bring them safe-ly home a-gain.
Oh Fa-ther, hear a hum-ble prayer,
For those in per-il in the air! A-men.
Oh Tri-ni-ty of love and pow'r,
Our breth-ren shield in dan-ger's hour,
From rock and tem-pest, fire and foe,
Pro-tect them where so e'er they go.
Thus ev-er-more shall rise to Thee--
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea! A-men
Better yet, have you ever paid attention to The Battle Hymn of the Republic and how it looks forward to the day of the Lord's return and points out with great praise that His truth is marching on?
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loos’d the fateful light-ning of His terrible swift sword,
His truth is marching on.
Glory, glory Hallelujah!
Glory, glory Hallelujah!
Glory, glory Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded HIm an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps,
His day is marching on.
Glory, glory Hallelujah!
Glory, glory Hallelujah!
Glory, glory Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
It is very easy to find fault with our country in this day. The culture is sick with decadence, apathy, and brazen disobedience. But it is still our country. It was founded on Biblical principles by Godly men - men who knew that man is a sinner and that the laws of the land needed to be based on solid absolute ideals and laws. Praise God for our Founding Fathers. Praise God for the freedom that we have had. Praise God for the many, many, many men and women who have laid down their lives to protect that freedom. May be not lose sight that our Father is strong, that He can save, and that He is coming again.
May God Bless America.
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