“The Declaration of Dependence”

ear Friends,

THE DECLARATION OF DEPENDENCE

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness … And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

Independence Day is a national holiday that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress July 4, 1776. This holiday has become all about the celebration with little thought about what we are celebrating. Grocery stores make sure they are well stocked with hot dogs and barbeque supplies; fireworks stands pop-up wherever they aren’t prohibited by fire restrictions, and communities gather in parks for a day of fun and music.

Before we race off to enjoy the festivities, we thought it would be useful to focus on an often overlooked truth: The Declaration of Independence included a “Declaration of Dependence”. Our Founding Fathers recognized the dependence of their new nation on the protection of God. Throughout our history, poets and songwriters have echoed our founding father’s conviction that God is the author and protector of our liberty. The final stanza of “America” is a prime example:

Our fathers’ God, to thee, Author of liberty, To thee we sing; Long may our land be bright With freedom’s holy light. Protect us by thy might, Great God, our King! The Star Spangled Banner identifies “In God is our trust” as a national motto:

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand, Between their lov’d homes and the war’s desolation;   Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserv’d us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause is just, And this be our motto: “In God is our trust” And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!   The Irving Berlin Classic “God Bless America” is actually a prayer.

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea, Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free, Let us all be grateful for a land so fair, As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. God Bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam God bless America, My home sweet home. In his Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln summed up the challenges we face as  citizens of a “nation under God.” “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Are we still a nation that recognizes its dependence on God? This July 4^th we encourage you to join with us in praying for the United States and all our people.

Verse for the week: 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

Blessings, Your Friends in Christ