Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalms 33:12 ESV

 “God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her thru the night with a light from above.” The words just written are words of a song written in 1938 by Irving Berlin. In many ways this should be more than just a song, but a prayer request to God for our nation. With such a prayer request should come the desire to be a people pleasing to God.

What does it mean to be pleasing to God?

 YOU LOVE HIM:

     And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and all your strength. Mark 12:30 ESV

     God is not to be a second thought in our lives or someone just to be tolerated but passionately loved with thanksgiving for all the wonderful blessings of life He has given us. He walks with us everyday and knows us by name. His love for us is beyond measure! In return we love Him by praising his Holy name, a name which is above every name. We love Him by keeping his commandments. We love Him by serving Him wherever He has planted us.

 WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR:

     The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:31 ESV

This doesn’t mean you love just those who love you, but you love as Christ has loved you. Jesus lived the example he wanted us to live out loud in the world. He always did the will of his Father which included Him dying for the sins of the world. Remember in the garden the statement Jesus made just before he was led away to be crucified, “Not what I will but what you will.” Mark 14:36 ESV It is God’s will that we love one another as Christ has loved us. (Ephesians 4:1-2)

 WE WALK HUMBLY

     God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. James 4:6-7 ESV

     Anything in our life worthy of thanksgiving is a gift of God, and we should give thanks in all things. Except for the precious grace of God, everything about us would be worthless. We must alway remember that, “In him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28 ESV God alone is worthy of praise! Let us always remember we are who we have been as a nation because of God’s guidance. If we cease to recognize God and all he has done for us, we will fall. So as we sing let us pray, “God bless America,” and may we live to show that we are serious in wanting God’s blessing on America.

Because of His grace ~ Pastor David