Sunday, June 4, 2017

One Nation Under God





“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness

    and who seek the Lord:
Look to the rock from which you were cut
    and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
look to Abraham, your father,
    and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was only one man,
    and I blessed him and made him many. 
Isaiah 51:1-2 NIV

Last weekend we celebrated Memorial Day in honor of our fallen service men and women. Independence Day is coming in July. It got me to thinking about our founding Fathers and what they put into place. Abraham was called of God to create a nation from one person, his son Isaac. God made Abraham a promise that his seed would be like the sands and the stars, too many to number. What about us, or the US? 

Our money states E Pluribus Unum, "out of many, one." We are a nation created by immigrants of many nations. We are a melting pot of peoples, united by the belief and hope of freedom given to us by God.

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. - Declaration of Independence

In searching documents written by our Founding Fathers, there are numerous examples of their faith in God's hand creating our nation. Even as late as 1956, the US government had the words "In God We Trust" written on our paper currency. It was first written on US coins in 1864. 

But what happens when we forget that our rights are given us by God? What happens when we fail to honor His laws? Perhaps the same thing that happened to the nation God created through Abraham and Sarah. The nation of Israel went through numerous enslavements when they turned from the God who gave them life. God still loves and favors Israel, a nation He created from one. He still loves and favors this nation He created by many. What will we do with what God has so richly blessed us with? 

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14

David asked God to search him and see if there was any wicked way in him. May we be like David and desire God to show us our wicked ways that we might turn and allow God to make America great again.

Hey Kids:
Last week I challenged you to investigate the service men and women in your family. 
What cool pictures and stories did you find?
Did anyone fight in the Revolutionary War? Sign the Declaration of Independence? 
Did anyone serve in WWII or Vietnam? 
Is someone in your family currently serving in the Armed Forces? 

Have you thought about writing a thank you note to those in your family who have/are serving?
I had a ggg grandfather who served in the Revolutionary War. Perhaps you did too.
They can't read our thank you notes, but we can publish them for others to share in our gratitude for our founding fathers and those who served to preserve for us the freedom to worship and serve the God who made us one nation out of many. 

I'm anxious to read your thank you notes!
Blessings, 
Gail




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