The Blessed Nation, Pt. 2

When you look at our country's history, early on, the Founding
Fathers had a noticeable and clear reliance on the God of Scripture.

The Blessed Nation, Pt. 2

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people He has chosen as His own inheritance."

(Psalm 33:12)

Psalm 33 is a beautiful, encouraging, and instructive text. There are 22 verses in it, and for the most part, they extol the character and nature of Almighty God. This God is the One true God who lifts one nation and pulls down another. As verse 12 asserts, the nations that acknowledge Him will indeed be blessed. Before we look more in-depth at this psalm, let us reflect on our nation and note some of our Founding Fathers and the decisions they made.

When you look at our country's history, early on, the Founding Fathers had a noticeable and clear reliance on the God of Scripture. There are reasons why all presidents of the USA as well as supreme court justices place their hand on the Bible when sworn into office. There are reasons why the words "In God We Trust" are on our currency, and there are reasons why the Congress opens in prayer. These reasons can be traced back to decisions made by our Founding Fathers. George Washington was surely praying to a divine being when he knelt in the snow in 1777 at Valley Forge, PA, and we know that it was the Lord God Almighty to whom he prayed. President Ronald Reagan said, "The image of George Washington kneeling in prayer in the snow is one of the most famous in American history. He personified a people who knew it was not enough to depend on their own courage and goodness; they must also seek help from God." (Source.)

Thomas Jefferson referred to the Bible when he said, "the Rock upon which this Republic rests." He requested that three things be written on his tombstone: author of the Declaration of Independence, defender of Religious Liberty, and founder of the University of Virginia. I believe Jefferson would have been pleased with the SCOTUS ruling regarding Joe Kennedy, the football coach in Washington who was fired for praying on the football field. I think he also would approve Justice Neil Gorsuch's position on the ruling: "The Constitution and the best of our traditions counsel mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and nonreligious views alike."

Jefferson wrote these famous words in the opening of the Declaration of Independence: "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."

Benjamin Franklin certainly appealed to divine help during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. During an impasse in our newly founded nation, Franklin stated, "To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth–that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that 'except the Lord build the House, they labour in vain that build it.'" (Source.) Franklin also called upon the assembly to designate one of the clergy to lead in prayer whenever they met.

Do I agree with everything our forefathers did or believed? I do not, but I can affirm many of their beliefs and actions. I hope that we as a nation will remember how we came into existence and that we too would praise the God of the Bible who has been so generous and kind to us.