Faith Words: In God is our Trust
I've spent the past few days in Baltimore, Maryland taking part in the Star-Spangled 200th - a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Baltimore Harbor and the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner. We've celebrated with tours, food, music and fireworks.
As much as we knew, or thought we knew before we arrived, we still learned a lot. For instance, did you know that the Star-Spangled Banner has four verses? I may have vaguely realized that there was more than one verse, but I had no idea what the words were to verses two through four.
Each is powerful in its own way, with a special message in each. But verse four is the one that took my breath away. In case you don't know, here is that magnificent verse:
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace,
may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made
and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it 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!
As they raised a huge replica of the original flag, we sang all four verses and were reminded with humility and thanksgiving how huge God's role was - and is! - in our country. Throughout most of our history, our countrymen took for granted that our country was - and is! - founded on a firm belief in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There was -and should be! - an understanding that unless we stand on a godly foundation, we will fall as a nation.
Being an election year, it is imperative that Christians vote. As great as it is, service to country is not limited to our military. We must take our duty as citizens of this great country seriously. Ask for God's guidance and vote accordingly. Remember that we were a "heav'n rescued land" in 1814 and we still can be that same nation today in 2014. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. As long as we trust in Him, He will bless us as He has over the last two hundred plus years.
As long as we trust in Him, "the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
With love for God and country,
Patrice
Psalm 33:12 (NIV)
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.
Comments
May have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of the heart.
In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to You;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to You.