Happy 242nd Birthday America! I love this great country and was raised to be a patriotic citizen. In fact, when my parents disciplined me, they gave me stripes and I saw stars! Seriously, God has allowed and aided America’s rise to unrivaled greatness in world history. On June 28, 1787, Benjamin Franklin addressed Congress, “…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 in the sacred writings, that ‘Except the Lord build the house they labor in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of [the tower of] Babel.”
Most major civilizations in human history collapsed when they reached the immoral state of our current culture. I am not a doom and gloom preacher, but I do believe that some of our recent calamities (e.g., national debt, terrorist attacks, etc.) are indicators of God lifting His favor. Abraham Lincoln said, “It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God…and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history that those nations only are blest whose God is the Lord.” What was true of ancient Israel is also true of America—we will remain strong and free only as long as we keep our covenant with God.
On July 30, 1956, President Eisenhower approved a resolution adopting “In God We Trust” as our national motto and requiring it to be placed on all U.S. currency. He explained, “In these days when imperialistic and materialistic Communism seeks to attack and destroy freedom, it is proper to remind all of us of this self-evident truth that as long as this country trusts in God, it will prevail.” Deuteronomy 28 lists several indicators of a blessed nation: economic prosperity, rain on crops, victory in battle, lending to other nations instead of borrowing, and being the head (superior) instead of the tail (inferior). Providentially, we have become the greatest nation on the face of the earth. While there is evidence that God is lifting His hedge of favor from our country, let me suggest five main reasons why God is still blessing America:
1. The Faith of our Forefathers: God continued blessing Israel for Abraham and David’s sake centuries after their deaths. Modern Americans are the beneficiaries of the covenant our forefathers had with God as they established this Christian nation. Most of our Founding Fathers acknowledged God and sought divine guidance in forming this country on Biblical principles. Although we have strayed far from those ideals, this country was unquestionably built upon the rock solid foundation of Judeo-Christian ethics.
2. World Missions: David Livingston, the great missionary to Africa, said, “God had only one Son and He made that Son a missionary.” Some of Jesus’ last words were, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15). Any person, organization, or nation that endeavors to send and support missionaries will have God’s blessing. America has sent more missionaries to foreign fields than any other nation. Now, sadly, we have become the mission field. Nevertheless, God still blesses those who bless His work and honor His Word. Furthermore, we don’t have to go across an ocean to do mission work when we can just go across the street. As one author noted, “Every person in the world is either a missionary or a mission field.”
3. Humanitarianism: As the breadbasket of the world, America responds to the cries of the world when there is an earthquake, tsunami, war, refugee crisis, genocide, etc. Who sends the most money, food, medicine, and volunteers when there is an international disaster? We do. Proverbs 19:17 states, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.” The best way to stay blessed is to keep being a blessing to others. We are called to be channels, not merely containers, of God’s blessings.
4. Allegiance with Israel: God still honors His covenant with Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you” (Gen. 12:3). Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told our Congress that Israel has no better friend than America and America has no better friend than Israel. It is vital for us to remain a staunch ally with Israel. They are still God’s chosen people who produced Jesus—the Messiah. Our politicians and foreign policy makers would do well to remember that any friend of Israel is a friend of God!
5. The Prayers of a Righteous Remnant: America has already seen some judgment from God due to our national sins of abortion, immorality, racism, materialism, etc. We have sown to the wind and now we are reaping a whirlwind of consequences. But repentance and prayer can avert or postpone judgment. If God spared Sodom and Gomorrah for only ten righteous people, then as long as there are millions of believers who love and pray for this country, there is hope for God’s blessing to continue. God promised if His people repent and pray, He will heal our land (2 Chr. 7:14). The prayers of a righteous minority can overcome the sin of a wicked majority.
To understand why God keeps blessing America one only needs to examine our history, the faith of our forefathers, and read the inscriptions on our national monuments. The United States was established on the firm foundation of faith in God and His Word. We, as a nation, have drifted from our spiritual roots, but that strong root system remains a vital part of our identity. Liberals and atheists are trying to deny and remove our spiritual heritage. They may try to rewrite history but America’s Judeo-Christian roots remain unchanged. My sincere hope and prayer is that God’s blessing will continue to fall on this great bastion of religious freedom we call America.