Sing a new song to the Lord!
He has worked miracles,
and with his own powerful arm, he has won the victory.
2 The Lord has shown the nations
that he has the power to save and to bring justice.
3 God has been faithful in his love for Israel,
and his saving power is seen everywhere on earth.
4 Tell everyone on this earth to sing happy songs
in praise of the Lord.
5 Make music for him on harps.
Play beautiful melodies!
6 Sound the trumpets and horns
and celebrate with joyful songs for our Lord and King!
7 Command the ocean to roar with all of its creatures,
and the earth to shout with all of its people.
8 Order the rivers to clap their hands,
and all of the hills to sing together.
9 Let them worship the Lord!
He is coming to judge everyone on the earth,
and he will be honest and fair. Â Â Â Psalm 98 (CEV)
While many spend their July 4th with large groups of people and a table groaning under the weight of the displayed food, my idea of a great July holiday involves watching patriotic movies (Yankee Doodle Dandy, Independence Day) and fireworks on TV. I come away from the day with a renewed desire in my heart to pray for this country and the people.
There are so many negative things that could be said about this country, the decisions that are being made, or the direction that it seems to be taking. But instead of spending our time digging into the negative, digging into the mud, why not step up on to the high road and look at the real power and toward the real victory.
He has worked miracles, and with his own powerful arm, he has won the victory.
The Lord has shown the nations that he has the power to save and to bring justice.
The psalmist knows this about the LORD. Do we? Do we live our lives, do we look at our nation like we know that God is powerful and has already won the victory? God is in the miracle business. And if prayer is about us having a conversation with God and allowing Him to show us the way to His way, then do we live our lives with hope and a belief that God is the one in control, not a president or king or Congress? My prayer is that we all learn to spend time conversing with God and making the choice to learn and be obedient to His way.
If I believe in the power of God and in His victory, then I can pray with a full heart for my President, whoever he/she is. I can pray for the Congress no matter what they do or do not do. I can pray for God’s wisdom to descend on the Supreme Court no matter who is on the Court. And no matter what I see with my eyes, I can rejoice because I know that God is honest and fair. I put my trust in God, not in any man or woman.
Look around this beautiful country. Look at the oceans, the rivers, the mountains, the farmlands. Look at the children, the senior saints, and young people who are teaching me about how to reach out to people and in their “little bit†can be used by God to make great changes. Let us be encouraged today as we join in the prayer God, Bless America.
God Bless America written by Irving Berlin and sung by Kate Smith
