A Special 4th of July Message: God's Blessing on our Nation

It's a special 4th of July Message as Rev Kev has returned from vacation and is ready to talk about how if we allow God into our lives, He will bless us. That goes for our Nation too!

 

It may not be politically correct to say this in our culture today – but we have been blessed by Almighty God!

 

Today we gather and worship, just as we do every Sunday of every week of every year.  We gather to worship a God who has worked to bring us salvation, forgiveness of sins, the ability to live a life with joy, and the eternal rewards that await those that follow Jesus – just like every other week of the year.  Except that this Sunday is just a little different, isn’t it?  We gather like every other Sunday to worship – but on this day, the day before we as a nation celebrate the Freedoms and privileges that came so dear, we gather to worship the God who has worked to bring our great nation into existence!

 

It may be unpopular for us to say this because our nation is struggling with the idea of God and faith, and whether or not He matters;  but we gather today, and celebrate our faith in the God that has changed our personal lives, and the ways in which God has acted in our own nation’s history!

 

This act of worship is nothing new:  The Hebrew people often stopped their activities to do this very thing.  Even though they as a people went through difficult times, economic downturns, and even military defeats, they continually came back and recognized that the very reason they existed as a people was because God had worked to bring that about.

 

In our passage, the Psalmist writes of God’s blessings on nations. We reference Psalms 33:12-22

 

12) Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

 

13) The Lord looks from heaven;

He sees all the sons of men;

 

14) From His dwelling place He looks out

On all the inhabitants of the earth,

 

15) He who fashions the hearts of them all,

He who understands all their works.

 

16) The king is not saved by a mighty army;

A warrior is not delivered by great strength.

 

17) A horse is a false hope for victory;

Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.

 

18) Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope for His lovingkindness,

 

19) To deliver their soul from death

And to keep them alive in famine.

 

20) Our soul waits for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield.

 

21) For our heart rejoices in Him,

Because we trust in His holy name.

 

22) Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,

According as we have hoped in You.

 

In this Psalm, which was written to honor God and recognize His blessings upon a people, there are a couple of teachings we acknowledge:

 

• God chooses those whom He will bless.
• God watches over the people who choose to follow Him.

 

God chooses those whom He will bless

 

The old phrase was simply, “How odd of God, to choose the Jews.”  This was a way of saying that God chose to bless the Jewish people before they were a people – and blessed them, even though no-one knew them, loved them, or cared about them.  Indeed, when God chose to work in and through Moses to bring the people out of Egypt, the Jewish nation did not even exist.  They were a slave people thrown into a miserable situation, and poor and helpless.  They cried out to God and He heard their prayers, and began to work to bring them from slavery to the Promised Land, and make them a people that would stand forever.  God “chose” to bless them, form them into a nation, and be their God.

 

That is not so different from the way he has chosen to bless our nation, is it?

 

The earliest settlers here – the Pilgrims – rejoiced that God had brought them safely to our shores, and their first act upon arriving at Plymouth Rock was to kneel and have prayer – thanking God for bringing them here, to begin a new nation that was free from the tyranny of an overpowering government.  They also dedicated their new colony to God’s use and glory.

 

Over and again our early leaders reaffirmed their faith in God’s work and blessings, oftentimes writing of their faith, and God’s work in historical events.

 

Our first president, George Washington, wrote often regarding our Christian faith.  Here is just one quote: “It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible.  Of all dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are indispensable supporters.”

 

Our early leaders were not perfect, to be sure; and, we must acknowledge the evil of some of their actions; but within them there was the sense that they were involved in something much larger than themselves – they really believed God was at work!  In retrospect we can see that God chose to use them, flawed as they were, and to bless them and guide them in their efforts – to form us and to bless us as a nation!

 

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.” (v.12)

 

There is something else here for us as we prepare to celebrate our nation’s birth, and blessings:

 

God watches over the people who choose to follow Him

 

Pslams 34:18-19

 

18) The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

 

19) Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

 

The history of God’s people was one of blessings when they were faithful to God, and one of troubles when they rebelled against His leadership.  God never required them to be perfect, but He did require that they worship only Him, and make efforts to live according to his will and desires.   He was gracious and patient, and fully willing to protect and bless them – as long as they would follow Him in faith!

 

The pattern was the same under Moses, and the Judges, and the Kings – when the people rebelled against God they suffered the consequences, but when they turned from their sin and followed God they were blessed!  

 

This is the way God has always worked with His people – He always loves us and desires to bless us – but our sin and rebellion invariably brings suffering and loss.  

 

Again, this is the way God has always worked with His people – even in our own nation’s history: 

 

Our nation is at its best when we live true to biblical teachings, and at its worst when we reject them:

 

• When we rejected the biblical teaching that all are created equal and utilized slavery and prejudice, we brought great misery and destruction to everyone.  The slaves and their families suffered immeasurably, and our nation to this day struggles with the emotional impact that slavery has had upon our people.
• When we rejected the biblical teachings regarding human sexuality and the importance of the family, we began a downward spiral that has damaged the mental and emotional health of millions of children, and threatens the very strength and unity of our nation.  
• When we followed the leadership of God’s people in the past, and our leaders and our people united in prayer after the tragedy of 9-11, our nation became stronger and better than ever before!  When Christians united in hurricane relief after Katrina (over 60% of volunteers were Christian!); we saw a nation that was generous and loving, and worked for the common good.

 

When we acknowledge God’s place in our lives God forgives and works and blesses, especially in times of fear and desperation!

 

Our nation is a great nation, blessed by God!  We are not perfect; we have profound flaws in our society that have come as a result of rejection of God’s leadership; at the same time, however, God loves us and continues to bless us and make us strong.

 

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.  I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.  O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"

 

Psalms 33:12; 34:1, 3, 8

 

What are your biggest takeaways from today's sermon?

 

 

Do you have feedback on today's sermon? Is there something you would like to discuss further? Drop me a line either at revk@fbcindep.org or fill out our Connection Card and let's talk!

 

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