Voices of Faith: Returning America to God

Fountain pen writing Faith
Fountain pen writing Faith
photo Doug Plumlee

One nation under God?

That phrase has become a point of controversy in America. In 1954, the phrase "one nation under God" was added to our Pledge of Allegiance. With the birthday of America today, we need to take a look back at our history to consider the founding principles of our country. America was founded on Christian principles. Over the years, these founding principles have shifted significantly and are no longer the foundation of our country.

In Psalm 33:12-22, the psalmist speaks of God's blessings upon those nations who place their trust in him. Verse 12 states: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." Originally, that was true of America. Many have seen the image of Gen. George Washington on his knees in the snow of Valley Forge, calling upon God for help. Eventually, he was able to lead his exhausted troops to victory.

Many of our government buildings and landmarks have Scriptures engraved or mounted on them. Our American currency has the phrase "In God we trust." These examples point to the importance of God as our country was founded.

We must ask ourselves the question today: "Is that still true of America?" Are we still "one nation under God"? Let's look to see what Psalm 33 says about being "one nation under God."

First, we see a promise of God's blessings upon the nation that trusts in him in Verse 12. Israel desired to have God's blessings and so should we. We are told that God is watching us in Verses 13 and 14. We can't fool him or hide our actions from him so we need to be careful how we live. God "considers" or looks at our actions, according to Verse 15. These verses should cause us as individuals and as a nation to consider our actions. An honest evaluation is not always easy but extremely important.

Second, the writer warns against trying to handle things on our own power in Verses 16-17. Our natural tendency is to become proud, but we are warned in this passage to remain close to God. Pride and self-confidence can cause us to move away from God as they had done. Where is our trust?

The contrast to self-dependence is found in Verse 18, which instructs us to fear God and put our hope in him. How can we do that? By taking the time to remember all that he has done for us in the past. God has blessed America throughout our history, but this verse tells us to return to God.

We obviously can't force all of America to return to God, but we can all make sure that we are living as "one nation under God." It's time for us to stand up and be counted as Christians who submit to God's leadership. Let's join together as individuals, churches and as a nation.

Doug Plumlee has been senior pastor at Ridgedale Baptist Church since 2013. He and his wife, Pam, are the parents of three children - Andrew, Lauren and Hannah.

Upcoming Events