BRAVE: A 3-Day Devotional From Danny GokeySample

My America

How do you feel about America? Have you ever paused to ask God what He thinks about it?

One thing we can know is that God had a distinct purpose in and hand on the formation of our country! It’s not just “my” America, “their” or “your” America. It’s “our” America. This song was written in lament over the state of our nation, and also in hopeful expectation, believing that God is not done with us yet! When we look around at America, it’s so easy to get lost in deep sorrow over what we see. A man well-known for his songs of both lament and hope was David. He did not hesitate to express his grief and cry out to the Lord over the death and destruction that seemed to surround him on every side. His words from the beginning of Psalm 12 hit pretty close to home.

“Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth! Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.”

Like the beginning of Psalm 13, it can feel like God has abandoned us and given us over to Satan.

“O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?”

But that’s not the end of the story! In Psalm 13:5-6, David goes on to declare “But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because He is good to me.”

And that’s a truth that we can declare over America, too! It may not always seem like it, but God is sovereign, and has a purpose for and in our country. I want to encourage people to stand up for and stand firm in that! He’s not finished with us yet. He’s looking for His people to be His hands, feet and mouthpiece so that His kingdom can come and His will be accomplished in both the earth, and our land.

The book of Lamentations is a whole collection of poems that express the humiliation and despair that followed the destruction of Jerusalem. But even that was not without hope.

The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hopewhen I remember this:
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.

Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”

The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.

So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. (Lamentations 3:19-26 NLT)

With so many conflicting voices and opinions about what we should believe about our country, people can struggle to honor, feel respect for and joy about the United States any more. But in reality, there are still so many precious things about this nation, and God is still faithful. His will is always to bring unity and healing. It’s the enemy who brings division and destruction, and we can see those forces at work in our country.

That’s why, as Christians, our aim should be to have a positive influence on everything and everyone, including our country–standing up for and reminding people of the truth of who we are. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been hard things in our history, and that there aren’t hard things happening today. We may have bruised and broken parts, but there is still beauty in the land and the people, the sacrifices made, and the hope found on these shores. Don’t let the lies of the enemy convince you to give up on the things on which we were founded. No matter how dark things might seem, remember that God is good, and that His light remains in the hearts of His people. Shine bright in and love the country where God placed you!