By Larry Stover 

The Selma Times-Journal 

 

This past Friday marked the 138th birthday of America. Celebrations were everywhere. People ate food, played games and watched fireworks. Now that is a great combination.

From a spiritual side, I am worried about America. We have become an indifferent nation. It’s not that we have turned away from God; we have just redesigned Him, to fit our indifference and irresponsibility. The word “God” is a very safe word. Statistics show that more than 90 percent of Americans believe in a god, but not necessarily the God of the Bible.

When I think about it, the real sin of America is the fact that as a nation, we no longer acknowledge the fact that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. The belief that there is no other name given under heaven by which we can be saved is now considered bigoted and intolerant. The question of the day looms everywhere; “Isn’t there another way to heaven except through Jesus Christ?”

Scripture makes some great points. Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Psalm 33:12 is popular, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”

Righteousness does exalt a nation. I’m still a believer that if people were right with God and each other, most problems would not exist. During Biblical times, governmental and spiritual leaders were continually calling their people back to God and back to his righteousness, godliness, and holiness. Wouldn’t it be awesome if our political leaders called us back to God and to a relationship with Jesus Christ?

Who can doubt that God has blessed America in years gone by? Our mentality today seems to be that God should still bless us based on our past allegiance to Him. The greatness and power that almighty God bestowed on us was based on our national belief that “He is Lord!”

Let’s face the truth; the same God that disciplined Israel is disciplining America. Just as God did not look the other way when Israel disobeyed the Lord’s standards, don’t expect Him to look away at our signs of sin and disobedience. He will not turn a blind eye to what is happening in our country.

Verse 2 Chronicles 7:14 promises forgiveness and healing for a country that turns back to the God of the Bible.

Things were different when our nation was birthed in 1776. Back then, 11 of the 13 colonies required that one be a Christian before running for office. In 1777, the Continental Congress voted to spend $300,000.00 on Bibles that would be distributed across the country.

John Adams, our first vice president and second president wrote: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th President, wrote in 1917: “In this actual world, a churchless community, a community where men have abandoned and scoffed at, or ignored their spiritual needs, is a community on a rapid down-grade.”

President Ronald Reagan shared a statement that still makes us think: “If we ever forget that we are ‘One Nation Under God,’ then we will be one nation gone under.”

I long for the day that our President would call America to prayer and repentance.

That would be the beginning of healing in America. That would be “Something Beautiful.”