This week the United States of America celebrated its independence from Great Britain 247 years ago. Many people sacrificed then and throughout our country’s history to establish and maintain precious freedom. Although my country faces difficult challenges and struggles many times to act wisely, I am grateful to be a citizen. I believe individually and as a nation we have the obligation and ability, with God’s help, to still do what’s right, loving, and good so current and future generations can experience life, liberty, and joy. However, the key to achieving this is not trusting in our country’s laurels, ingenuity, wealth, strength, aptitude, or leadership. It is only realized by individually and corporately trusting God, humbly relying on him, and following his righteous lead.
God created and sustains the universe. All of creation was made by him and for him. He holds it all together (Psalm 42:1; Acts 17:24-25; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-20). You recognize and experience the blessing and reality of this when you joyfully embrace and live in that truth by faith and with thankfulness (Hebrews 11:1). In other words, when you forfeit your way of doing things and place your hope, loyalty, trust, and obedience in God then you experience his presence, provision, protection, peace, and purpose (Philippians 4:4-7, 13). This far surpasses anything you could experience or achieve on your own living for yourself.
Throughout history this has been the case. God does the work of creating, sustaining, intervening, saving, restoring, and maturing, but out of love he graciously invites people to participate in fellowshipping and working with him so that the respondents and those around them are blessed. Jesus taught this, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:1-5).
This was the case for the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. God gave them dominion over the earth and told them to care for it and for each other. When they did they enjoyed harmony with one another and with God. When they disobeyed God they lost all that.
It was true for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who then became the nation of Israel. God promised to bless Abraham and to bless the world through his offspring even though he had no children at the time. But to enjoy the blessings of God’s promise Abraham needed to leave his homeland and trust God through various tests of his faith. It was true for David, king of Israel. When David honored God, he and Israel prospered. When they didn’t, they suffered. Centuries later even though Israel failed repeatedly to honor God, God still fulfilled his promise. He blessed Israel and the whole world by sending his Son, Jesus, to become a man, live the righteous life we all should live, die the death we deserve for our self-centered, wayward rebellion against him, and rise again to give victory over death and sin. Anyone who trusts and obeys Jesus can experience abundant, everlasting life with God like Adam and Eve once did. Those who reject Jesus cannot be saved, cannot become a part of God’s family, and by their own choice will eventually be separated from God in torment forever (‘John 3;16-21).
It was true for the Pilgrims who established the United States of America. They wanted to freely worship God and help others do the same. So they followed God’s lead to set sail from England to North America on the Mayflower ship in 1620 A.D. William Bradford, one of the leaders, wrote in the Mayflower Compact the purpose of the journey. It was for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith and in honor of their King and Country. The compact was signed by the Pilgrims who agreed to work together toward this end. Though they faced trials, as these citizens trusted and followed God they experienced his blessing in their fledgling colony which grew to become the United States of America.
The same is also true for any person, family, community and country today. God will always accomplish his purposes, but he invites you to be a part of his family and his plan by trusting Jesus to save you and help you live with God and for God. Don’t miss what God wants to do in you and through you.
If you want to be saved and really live, if you want to see your family and nation thrive, I encourage you to adopt a spirit of thankfulness, a tender heart of faith, and a life of dedication toward God and his salvation mission of reconciling others to himself. Around 1,000 BCE King David, his son Solomon, and the people of Israel did that as they generously gave of their time, treasure, and talent toward building a temple for God in Jerusalem. David led the people in this prayer,
“‘Praise be to you, Lord,
the God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.‘But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, statutes and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.’
Then David said to the whole assembly, ‘Praise the Lord your God.’ So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the Lord and the king” (1 Chronicles 29:10-20).
Conclusion
This fourth of July, Americans celebrated independence. Yet true freedom, victory, and life come from dependence on God. Pride, power, fame, success, jealousy, and affluence can destroy you. Even busyness, bitterness, vengeance, and unforgiveness can distract and derail you from God’s glorious design for your life. God opposes the proud, but graciously exalts the humble. Those who surrender to, rely on, and follow him become free to thrive. Through the tragic brokenness of sin and yet also through victories of faithfulness, King David understood this. In preparing to build the temple he exhorted Israel and his son, Solomon, to dedicate themselves. It’s a message Americans and people of all nations need to hear.
“So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever. And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work…Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished” (1 Chronicles 28:8-10, 20).
Heed the advice of David. Because God fully loves you, fully love him. In every work or pursuit, every decision, every relationship, and every moment joyfully offer yourself to God by faith in Jesus and he will establish you and complete what’s needed for you to become all he designed you to be. In addition, he will also multiply your gifts and dedication to impact your family, your community, and your country for his glory.