Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and so the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. Psalm 33:12

     July 4, 2026 is a great day of celebration of the 250th birthday of our nation. It’s a time to reflect on the benefits of living in such a wonderful place and to think of the many strong statesmen and courageous men and women who sacrificed so much so we could live in such a free state. Yet, the foundation of our free country is not the wisdom of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, nor the winning of wars, nor technological success tickets, but Almighty God! A fireworks show doesn’t hold a light to the light of this nation, even the light of the world — Jesus Christ! This nation is the leader of the world because it displays the reflected light of the Word. A nation cannot be blessed without being free and God has so blessed this beloved country with both and we ought to be happy and full of hope as a result. God is the Lord of America and this year’s celebration should be geared especially to glorify Him. There may be many skeptics and confused atheists in America, but by far the bells of Christianity ring true from sea to sea and from the mountains to the prairies. Over two hundred sixty million people who live here say this nation is God’s nation. We pledge “one nation under God” and we’re still calling on God to bless America every time we sing the National Anthem. Surely we know how great it is to be an American. May we never forget the Great God that got us here. To make America great is to make God great, and He is, so let’s celebrate as Christians not only our freedom in Christ, but our freedom in the USA. There is a church on every corner, a Bible in most motel rooms and someone next door who loves Jesus too. America is not only beautiful, but is also very blessed. Can I get a witness?

God Is Greater Than The Nations

     It's alright to be proud to be an American as long as we recognize there is One greater than all and He is actually responsible for creating such a wonderful national heritage. America is the greatest nation on Earth but only because God has established this government and He also sustains us. It works a lot like creation in that God created it but He didn’t just walk off and let creation do its own thing. Rather, He remained involved every day and night providing sunshine and rain and seasons for planting and harvest.

     America spans across an area containing 3,796,742 square miles and covers a distance of 2,802 miles from coast-to-coast. Yet, this country is literally only a drop in a bucket compared to Almighty God.

“Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.”  Isaiah 40:15

     Realizing the greatness of God is humbling and causes our hearts to “well up” with love for the nation that has become great because of an even greater One. Knowing the Supreme Court is not supreme but that God is, is most comforting — especially in our times when evil is called good and good is considered evil.

     The reason we should pray for our government leaders is because the Lord has placed them where they are. “Powers that be” are powers given by the most powerful in the universe. The fact that we pray implies God’s greatness, especially when we are called to pray for things we don’t feel like praying for. Let’s take some time this Independence Day to pray for America!  God’s sovereignty is most secured by prayer as we come to the One who can do all things and is wise and merciful too.

     There can be no more effective celebration of our nation’s birthday than by celebrating the One who birthed her — God! The colonists who came to America came because they wanted a place to make God great. Really, that would be a good motive for doing anything we do. It’s a lot like seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And we see the results of placing priority on pleasing the Lord, because America has been added many blessings of prosperity, power, and position of world leadership.

     Some politicians say they are going to make America great again. America has always been great. What’s needed most is to make God great by putting Him first in all that we do. That way our faith will stay strong and freedom will ring clear across this great country. It’s true; when we make God great, everything else will be great. That’s how this nation started and that’s the only way our wonderful country will be able to continue.

God’s Grace Is Shed On This Nation

     America is beautiful! And this nation is beautiful because of God’s grace. God makes everything beautiful by grace, even sinners like us. He even makes beauty out of ashes so the Bible says. America is beautiful too, so the song says:

“O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain

For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain!

America, America! God shed His grace on thee,

and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!”

Grace is God’s undeserved, unearned favor and something we should never take for granted. Any American is surely a recipient of God’s grace. To be born American or to receive citizenship here is surely the result of God’s favor and Divine providence. America’s natural resources are second to none and nobody has to go very far to vacation in the USA. The fertile fields, the flowing rivers, the mountains and the tall trees are a testimony of God’s favor and make His fingerprints easy to spot. Not only are America’s natural resources vast and diverse, they are also renewable. Just like God’s grace, the more it’s used, the more it grows. America’s scale and diversity offers something for everyone. Her natural beauty and cultural blends make exploration a good pastime right in our own back yards.

     America is also a gracious nation. The free world today is so because of America’s influence, either by military intervention or technological advancements. American farmers have the capacity to feed the world and do so to a great extent. The sight of an American flag in a war torn nation or a poverty stricken countryside is not only a symbol of freedom, but also of grace. We should not let what’s wrong with us take away what’s right with America. This is the greatest country on Earth and it is so because of God’s grace. And,if America is to continue to be the greatest nation, it won’t be because of military might or governmental gurus, it will be because of God’s GRACE!

God Expects Gratitude From His Nation

     We can never take for granted anything we’re truly grateful for. To be grateful for America is how her 250th birthday should be celebrated. An attitude of gratitude will lift our standards of living and empower us to make the pledge of allegiance to our flag a plea to be one nation under God. Just because we have “In God We Trust” on a dollar bill doesn’t mean we can’t forget him. Gratitude keeps God fresh on our minds and also helps with our morals too.

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34

     God often deals with His people on a national level. Achan’s sin in the Old Testament brought death and destruction to the entire nation of Israel. And, in another scripture, God warned the Israelites about forgetting Him when they entered the promised land of milk and honey and productive vineyards. I hope we heed God’s warning better than the Israelites.

     Maybe the best way to celebrate our country’s 250th birthday is not to see how much we can play, but to notice how little we pray. Even though we recently recognized a National Day of Prayer, there is no better way to express our  thanks to God than to look to Him in prayer as a nation, grateful to be chosen by Him.

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

This prayer is not made in America, but it’s surely made for America.

Brother Randy