God bless America

[JaniceQ]

This thanksgiving as we prepare to set down to a table richly laden with Turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings perhaps it is a good time to remember the beginning of this great country that God has so richly blessed us with. It was On Sept 6, 1620 that the pilgrims set sail for America. For two months they endured the Harsh elements of the storm tossed sea. Over 100 people were crammed into a space about the size of a volley ball court. They were not allowed above board because the storm would have swept them away. Indeed, the crew members had to have ropes around them to tie them down, preventing them from being tossed overboard. You can only imagine the smell below ship where all the passengers lived and slept and where there were no bathrooms. When they finally arrived at Plymouth Rock the snow was falling. Being unprepared for the harsh winter half of them lost their lives.

Why did these pilgrims choose to endure such harsh circumstances? Because they loved the Lord and wanted to worship Him. They wanted religious freedom, something that was forbidden them in England.

After that first winter God richly blessed them. They began to prosper and flourish. Indeed God has continued to bless this nation. I was reading a sermon by Thomas Baldwin that was delivered on Feb. 19, 1795. He described how God had blessed America like this:

“The prosperous course of our affairs, public and private” calls for our grateful acknowledgments. That our wealth and population have rapidly increased within these few years past much beyond any former calculations cannot be denied. And we have the satisfaction still to believe that the tide has not begun to ebb but is yet increasing. Our settlements are extending; the wilderness yields to the hand of cultivation and becomes a fruitful field; towns are built and cities enlarged. Citizens of every class find sufficient employ and ample encouragement to reward their industry. The liberal arts are nourished and useful knowledge discussed and surely there can be nothing wanting but real piety [holiness] to make us truly happy.

This reminds me of how God has blessed the nation of Israel whenever they were following the Lord. God told His people:

"If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God: Your towns and your fields will be blessed. Your children and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed. Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed (Deut 28:1-6).

And God has always been true to His word. Whether it was the Israelites, Americans or whoever, God blesses those who trust in Him. He has blessed us bountifully as a nation and as individuals. However, these blessings are not to be taken for granted. What God has given can also be taken away. We must always remember that God owes us nothing. In His mercy He has chosen to bless us but everything in this life is temporal. We are obligated to thank Him for His goodness and for the rich blessings He has given us for He owes us nothing.

As we see this country eroding with the loose moral standard should we not take a stand for what is right? Remember that our forefathers fought diligently and gave their lives so we could have freedom. Much of our freedom is slipping away as the government takes more and more control. But where the first residents of this country gave so much for the freedom of this country we are often reluctant just to write letters to our representatives for the same purpose. Shame on us.

[emilswift]

You're right -- though I fear the politicians have forgotten that they're elected as our representatives. Even worse, I think citizens in general have ALSO forgotten that the politicians in the capitols of every state and in Washington are merely representatives of our desires. So, sending a letter or email to them, making clear our desires, is both an opportunity and a responsibility. Good word, Janice! Thanks!