Is It Complete to Say, “God Bless America?”
My Answer Below
“Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained” – 1 Samuel 2:30 NIV
I think it is safe to say the Yahweh God has blessed, prospered, and protected America from its divine providential beginnings to our recent past. We have repeatedly heard rock stars, politicians, religious leaders, athletes, and everyday people, say “God Bless America.” I think it is time that we add on to that statement and say: “America, Bless God!”
GOD BLESS AMERICA &
AMERICA, ITS TIME TO BLESS GOD!
In Psalm 9:17 (NLT) the psalmist writes, “The wicked will go down to the grave (the realm of the dead). This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.”
Whenever we stop acknowledging Him, whether as an individual or a nation, we then begin to forget Him, and at that point, we are in trouble. Understanding this truth, President George Washington emphatically declared:
“It is the duty of all NATIONS to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.”
George Washington, “A Proclamation”
printed in The Providence Gazette and Country Journal (October 17, 1789), p. 1.
Remembering and honoring God at the national level begins with simple acknowledgment of God. Modern conflicts over things such as the National Motto, the inclusion of “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, public displays of the Ten Commandments or nativity scenes, and prayer at athletic events, school meetings or political gatherings are, therefore, not small or trivial matters.
This last 4th of July 2021, I watched the opening of a NASCAR race, and a priest gave a wonderful opening prayer acknowledging God, emphasizing obedience to God, praising God for our benefits and asking God for His overarching protection for the drivers and our nation. The camera spanned to view the drivers, their wives, and children as thy reverently bowed their heads in prayer.
The presence of such public acknowledgments is not coercive but rather, simple, encouraging reminders with a long history of precedent underscoring the value and wisdom of honoring God. The Founding Fathers would never have supported any public policy that would prohibit such expressions and, thus, invite us as a nation to forget God.
President Thomas Jefferson agreed, and in his First Inaugural Address reminded the nation that the first thing “necessary to make us a happy and prosperous people was acknowledging and adoring an overruling Providence.” (Look to the papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Barbara B. Oberg (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2006), Vol. 33, p.150.
Notice the four duties that Washington said pertained to NATIONS:
- Acknowledge God
- Obey His will
- Be grateful for His aid
- Implore His protection and favor
How we can acknowledge God:
#1 Around the dinner table have two people pray and recognize God, thanking Him for His presence and provision and asking for His protection.
#2 If you organize a neighborhood dinner or block party—open in a prayer following the four-fold duties as outlined by President Washington.
#3 On several occasions with our neighbors in which most would not profess or follow Christ, I opened in prayer. I thanked God for His care over us and His benefits. I especially thanked Him for our children and the wonderful parents that were shaping their lives. Friends, EVERY TIME the people present expressed deep appreciation! It is that simple.
Hey, don’t just Keep the Faith, Give it Away ☺!
American, it is time to Bless God!
In Christ,
Dale
dale@daleebel.org