North Anderson Baptist Church
Psalms 33:12-22 NIV
America is not mentioned in the Bible like many other nations. But just because our beloved nation isn’t mentioned in Scripture doesn’t mean that Scripture doesn’t have anything to say about America and her inhabitants. You and I are talked about in the Bible all the time; we are the children of God, His inheritance and it doesn’t matter where a believer resides we would still be God’s beloved. Therefore, we can read the words of love from the Father, written by His chosen scribes and they apply to us.
Psalms 33:12 NIV
A. Blessed is the nation and inheritance whose God is the Lord (v. 12)
This passage that I have just read, speaks not only to us believers as the people of God, but I think that if we as a nation were to pay attention to the Scripture, then America or regardless of who the nation was, that nation would be “the favored of God and He would choose to bless them. The blessing of the Lord goes to the nation that chooses to love, trust and follow the Lord God Almighty. That would be any nation, not just America. At one time we, the people of the 13 Colonies set their sights on being a nation that was lead of and by God Almighty. When you hear the debate of the Continental Congress and read the words written by our Founding Fathers, you can’t help but believe that they knew not only about God but so many of them knew Him intimately as their personal Savior and Lord. Here are two who did know the Lord personally. Many more could be shared but these two we know.
John Adams said, "Now I will avow, that I then believe, and now believe, that those general Principles of Christianity, are as eternal and immutable, as the Existence and Attributes of God; and that those Principles of Liberty, are as unalterable as human Nature and our terrestrial, mundane System."
--Adams wrote this on June 28, 1813, excerpt from a letter to Thomas Jefferson.
George Washington said, "While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian."
--The Writings of Washington, pp. 342-343.
Tony Perkins (of the Family Research Council) has said, “Freedom is the title of America's story. America's freedom was the fuel that churned the American engine of ingenuity and economic advancement and made America the land of opportunity that served as a magnet to attract millions to the shores of the young nation. But one cannot objectively look at our nation's story and not see that from the very beginning faith and religious exercise played a significant role in shaping the freedom that put America on the rapid path to becoming a world leader.
An essential ingredient to the political and social freedoms that the inhabitants of America have enjoyed is not only the individual freedom of religion, but an understanding that the public practice or exercise of religious faith is essential to America's success.Even President Obama noted in a 2006 speech that "secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square. Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Williams Jennings Bryan, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King -- indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history -- were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause...Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition."
To fully understand just how essential this public practice of religion is, we need look no further than the men who crafted our governing documents and shaped our nation. John Adams, a descendant of Puritan colonists and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, served as America's second president. Speaking to the officers of the Massachusetts Militia on October 11, 1798, he emphasized the essential nature of religion to America's structure of freedom:
"We have no Government armed with Power capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, Ambition, Revenge, or Gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a Whale goes through a Net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."--Adams wrote this on June 28, 1813, excerpt from a letter to Thomas Jefferson.
This perspective was not unique to Adams. His predecessor, George Washington, spoke of religion as being one of the great pillars that upheld America's fledgling government when he spoke to the young nation in his farewell address in 1796:
"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity...And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."
“However, America's story cannot be adequately told without including the prominent role of religion. Religion, and in particular the Christian faith, has been an essential component of America's greatness, or exceptionalism—to use a term that makes the Left apoplectic. Similarly, America's future, if the nation is to truly recapture its greatness, cannot succeed without a return to true religious freedom, meaning the ability of citizens to take their place in the nation's still unfolding story by freely living and interacting in society guided by their religious faith.”
Psalms 33:13-15 NIV
B. The Lord knows and sees everything (vv. 13-15)
Notice that the Lord sees all! He made the earth and all the inhabitants therein. This simple verse just helps us to see that God knows who you and I are and He is watching our lives.
What if you don’t know Him, does He know you? Yes! He is your Maker! He not only knows you but He loves you as well. He sent Jesus, His Son, to live a human life so that He could identify with us and then give His life a ransom for all the sin of mankind upon a Roman cross. If you as a person who does not have a personal relationship with Him, God Almighty, then He will, by the blood of His Son shed on that cross, save you from your sin, if you would just repent and believe that Jesus is God’s only Son and that He died for you and was buried because He was dead, and then He rose from the dead to give all who believe in Him eternal life. If you will believe by faith this truth God will save you from your sin and give you life everlasting with Him in heaven.
Psalms 33:16-17 NIV
C. The size and power of one’s army is not important (vv. 16-17)
Through the years the size of an army generally makes the difference of whether the army wins the battles. God declares that is not necessarily so. God determines who wins and who loses, He is in charge.
Think about the Pharaoh’s army that came after Moses and the people of Israel. God showed them who was the Almighty God. They were destroyed in the Red Sea. What about the Six-Day War in a brief but bloody conflict fought in June 1967 between Israel and the Arab states of Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Israeli Army was out-manned but the Lord called the shots and they won decisively. And what about the Roman army, the greatest in the world,. became defeated by the lifestyles of the Romans and the power of God through the Christians within the empire.
God is greater than all the power of man!
Psalms 33:18-21 NIV
D. When you fear and hope in God and His love, He watches over you (vv. 18-21)
I believe that not only did our Founding Fathers believe in God and His power to help the fledgling nation succeed and obtain its freedom from the despot in England, but the people of the Greatest Generation did as well. I want to read to you the prayer of Franklin Delano Roosevelt prayed the morning of D-Day, June 6, 1944. He not only read the prayer to the whole nation but asked Americans all over the land to pray it with him.
“My Fellow Americans:
Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest -- until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.
For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.
And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keeness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy will be done, Almighty God.
Amen.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt - June 6, 1944”
I believe this is what we need today. A president who is willing to stand and call on God to help America become more of what God desires for us to be.
During the speech on the 4th of July, President Donald Trump called on Americans everywhere to pray for their country. To regain the faith that was displayed throughout our country’s life. But, one thing I did hear that I think does not go with this passage, it is that just because we are the greatest nation in the world and probably the strongest, we still need to beware about trusting in our power but trust in the Lord God Almighty and not to be afraid to call out His name in public. For, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.” We must never forget that when we believe and trust in the Lord, He will bless us too! God not only watched over us but He allowed our nation and those who fought against the Evil Axis to succeed.
My dear friend, I hope you noticed that when you hope and trust in the Lord and His love He will watch over us. Isn’t it wonderful to think that the great God of the universe watches over you and me? He does, because He loves us. And He proved it on the Cross of Calvary! Accept that hope and love and rest in Him!
Psalms 33:22 NIV
E. God’s unfailing love (v. 22)
What is greater than God’s unfailing love? We all have troubles and trials in this life. So many are struggling just to make it every day. I talk to people who are struggling with alcohol addition, pornography, lack of self-esteem and just not being able to feel that anyone loves them. This God of this Psalm is a God of unfailing love and if you have a problem and if you are floundering in life on the inside and no one knows, God knows and you need to come to Him and He will help! He will give hope and love! Place what hope you have into His hand and He will go from there. He will take your hand and carry you through the difficulties and trials that you have been going through alone, or you think you have gone through alone. Declare that you have faith and that you want that hope He can give and allow Him to touch your life with love and power from the greatest source ever, the Holy Spirit.
There is an old song called “He Touched Me”:
Shackled by a heavy burden,
'Neath a load of guilt and shame.
Then the hand of Jesus touched me,
And now I am no longer the same.
He touched me, Oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole.
Since I met this blessed Savior,
Since He cleansed and made me whole,
I will never cease to praise Him,
I'll shout it while eternity rolls.
He touched me, Oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know
He touched me and made me whole.
My dear friend you are the inheritance of the Lord and He has touched you with His love and His joy. Celebrate it!