The United States of America is my country, and I love it with a passion. Our forefathers established this country as a free nation, and many times I have thanked them in my heart for the great sacrifices they made to allow me the opportunity to be born in a free America.
I remember when I was in school, many years ago, we studied about the founding of America. My heart swelled in patriotism when we read about how our brave founding fathers wrote the Declaration Of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights to ensure that this country would remain a free nation for all time. God was the centerpiece of that freedom, making the United States of America a God-fearing nation founded upon Christian values—one nation under God. As a result, this nation has prospered like no other nation in history.
Two Bible verses in Psalms come to mind: “Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.” (Psalms 67:5-6 KJV) We, the people of America, have been truly blessed. As long we honor and worship God, He will continue to bless us and our country—the United States of America!
God has blessed this country in many ways. We have unparalleled freedom. We can do anything we choose and achieve to any level we aspire to, as long as we obey the laws of the land. We can go anywhere we want, at any time, from state to state, with no restrictions. This is not possible in many other countries around the world. God gave us everything we needed for national economic greatness—vast expanses of fertile soil; seemingly endless forests; gold, silver, and other precious metals waiting to be mined; and massive iron ore, coal, petroleum, and other mineral deposits—all within the confines of the continental United States and even more in Alaska. Our standard of living is one of the highest in the world. However, one of the greatest blessings that was established in this country was our God-given right of religious freedom—to be free to pray and worship Him at any time, without any interference. America’s great growth and prosperity had a tremendous impact on the rest of the world.
Aside from the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, no wars have been fought on American soil. All the wars we have been involved in have been fought in other lands. God has truly blessed us!
To further solidify our designation as a Christian nation, the Supreme Court, in 1892, issued the following statement: “The blessings of justice, our laws, our institutions, must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise and that in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian.”
I wonder if many people today think about these freedoms we enjoy, or do they just take them for granted? Thousands of our young men and women gave their lives for America and for that freedom. We should be thanking God every day for His blessings.
However, I am getting concerned about this country that I love so much. During the last few decades, I have seen a gradual falling away from our Christian values. Crime and violence are on the rise. The number of broken homes continues to increase, even as national prosperity has increased. There is an increase in illegitimacy, millions of innocent babies are being killed in abortion clinics, and there is an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases. Crude and violent entertainment dominates our airwaves. America’s falling away from her Christian values is also having a tremendous impact on the rest of the world.
The sober words of Thomas Jefferson come to mind. He said, “God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God?… Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.”
The Bible says, “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.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV)
Please pray for America that she will continue to be a free, God-fearing nation—one nation under God! The world needs America to be a free nation.
—Vance Payne
President and CEO
Truth and Knowledge Research Institute
