Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. — Psalm 73:1
Nearly 250 years ago, the United States took on its shape. While it was not its current shape of 50 separate but united states, it was 13 individual states that came together for a common purpose. The words were written that outlined all the grievances that they had and throughout the document, they weaved key references for us. They didn’t reference international law, but rather freedoms that they believed that all were entitled to.
Those freedoms were set out in the words that were written, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” That pursuit was not a separate pursuit from God, but rather a joint pursuit of freedom with God, the Creator, and the Supreme Judge, as they cited in the writing. They knew that apart from God in heaven, their pursuits of freedom would never work.
In all consideration, our nation really shouldn’t exist. Many who chose to fight for freedom were not trained in military methods. Many of them were simple tradesmen. They were farmers, business owners, and everyday people just like us. Yet, they believed that the God of heaven had a higher purpose for them. They had faith that God was able to provide a place where freedom reigned supreme.
Obviously, if you read through your Bible, the scriptures reference Israel as God’s chosen people. As the psalmist writes here, truly God is good to Israel. The exact same words can be said for our nation. Time and again, God has been good and provided for the United States of America. His divine work is evident all throughout our founding. It was no mistake that America was created.
There are those who are not happy with it. They prefer to kick God out of our nation and that nothing would ever again be said of God. They fill our schools, businesses, social media feeds, and public squares with displays of sin and wickedness. Simply walk through your local mall or big box stores and you will see signs celebrating wickedness and advocating for the murder of children through abortion.
That is not the America that we were in 1776. America in our founding was a Christian nation. It was proud to be called a Christian nation. Even though there are those who wish to remove any trace of God from our society, God still allows America to exist. It isn’t that God is overlooking the sin, it is simply that God is not finished with our nation.
Today, as we celebrate the independence of our nation, do not let us forget who is ultimately responsible for our freedom. I am certainly thankful to those who risked and sacrificed all they had in order for us to gain our freedom. Most of all, I am thankful for an almighty God who saw it as part of His divine plan to allow this nation to exist.