By Staff
Independence Day, July 4, 1776, the day the founders of this country declared, "No more rule by Red Coats!" They persisted in their quest, routed the colonial power of England, and founded the United States of America.
They wanted independence from unjust taxation and government intervention into every area of life. They believed and stated in the Declaration of Independence that every citizen had the equal right to become unequal, that is, the power to achieve and enjoy the fruit of their achievement.
Today 233 years later, freedom is eroding quicker than a high wind erodes the dirt of a Kansas farm field. What has happened? Where is the belief that liberty begets prosperity, that people left to themselves in a free market will come up with a high standard of life, and that those same people will be fair minded to those who share the dream of freedom?
Maybe the downturn in America is to be expected in a nation that has celebrated over 200 years in existence. Ideas degenerate and when the populace realizes that they can vote themselves benefit from the public coffers, the days of prosperity are numbered.
Or . . . maybe there is something else going on.
For the sake of argument, let us assume that God is involved in the affairs of men. That He puts up nations and takes down nations (Jeremiah 18:5-10). America is the shining light in the world. America is still the dream destination for the poor, the distressed, the disenfranchised, and everyone who feels deep within their being a yearning to live free. We have been blessed. We have been enabled to be the benefactor for those who struggle around the world. One explanation for what is happening in our country now could be that Almighty God is moving against us.
In Psalm 60, the Psalmist cries out in desperate times. He describes the problem in verses 1-3: "You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry-now restore us! You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fractures for it is quaking. You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger."
Regardless of your belief system, unless you are one who desires nothing more than to see this nation crumble, you must consider that there are forces at work right now that are as revolutionary against personal freedom as the forces were for personal freedom 233 years ago.
Whether or not you believe that God is active in the daily affairs of people, it may be good to cry out to Him just in case. An SOS signal goes out on a clear channel to all who can hear it.
It is time for us to get on our knees and send the signal the Psalmist closed with, in Psalm 60, verse 11: "Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies."
So this July 4, instead of setting off fireworks to celebrate our independence, maybe we should bow before Almighty God in abject dependence.