"As I see it, only God can be all-powerful without danger, because his wisdom and justice are always equal to his power. Thus there is no authority on earth so inherently worthy of respect, or invested with a right so sacred, that I would want to let it act without oversight or rule without impediment (p. 290)." ~ Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 1835

Good morning. It's Thursday, March 1, 2018. I don't think March 1st has any potential implications other than perhaps the winds that might show up. I was driving down the road the other day and a guest on a radio program began talking about the overwhelming role that faith in God played in the founding of our nation. I guess I was unaware of just how many days of fasting and prayer that had been officially called for by our nation's leaders during the Revolutionary War with Great Britain. I've written before about the many times that our founding father, George Washington, used the word providence in his writings. The word during that time would have conveyed this definition, "The foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the Earth. God, esp. when conceived as omnisciently directing the universe and the affairs of humankind with wise benevolence. A manifestation of divine care or direction. Foresight; provision; provident care." There were so many times when the future of America was hanging by a thread, but, something, a storm, a fog, a confusion, or another unexpected event brought relief and an ability to continue the fight. Here are a few of the many recognitions of God's hand in the establishing of our nation: ~ Our "firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence." – Declaration of Independence, 1776; "The many signal interpositions of providence in favour of the American cause." – official explanation of the Great Seal's symbolism, 1782; "I entertain a fond hope that the same kind providence which has conducted us so far in our journey will open a way for the future happiness and prosperity of the United States." – Charles Thomson (to his wife Hannah), 1783; "If it had not been for the justice of our cause, and the consequent interposition of Providence, in which we had faith, we must have been ruined." – Ben Franklin (to William Strahan), 1784; "The frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favour." – Benjamin Franklin at Constitutional Convention, 1787; "Our sincere and humble thanks for... the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war." – George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1789. ~ The naysayers want us to believe that we were not founded based on a recognition of God. That my friend might be a secularist's dream, but, it is an absolute fabrication.

Okay, they might say, but which God? Well, the overwhelming thrust of the expressed faith comments often included the mention of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I think that pretty much answers the question regarding Who they thought of when they talked about His providence. Again, let's look at the actual writings of our early leaders. ~ John Adams, signer of the Declaration of Independence; Judge; Diplomat; signer of the Bill of Rights; and second President of the United States, "The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God." ~ Samuel Adams, signer of the Declaration of Independence; Ratifier of the U.S. Constitution, and Governor of the state of Massachusetts, "we may with one heart and voice humbly implore His gracious and free pardon through Jesus Christ, supplicating His Divine aid . . . [and] above all to cause the religion of Jesus Christ, in its true spirit, to spread far and wide till the whole earth shall be filled with His glory." ~ I'll end with just one more, a declaration of the Congress itself, from 1854, "The great, vital, and conservative element in our system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and the divine truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ." There were more than 50 others listed, many with multiple quotes identifying our nation with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While I might be preaching to the choir, it's always good to be reminded of God's intervention in bringing about the nation and the attendant freedoms we enjoy. Amen.

Sadly, these historical facts are most likely considered to be too offensive to teach to our children. The men and women who sacrificed on behalf of handing down to us this great country were not perfect. Today, their failings are magnified while their faith is not only minimized, it is marginalized as well. Back in 1954, upon the urging of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Congress changed our national Pledge of Allegiance to include the words 'under God'. I have written today's edition to end with this: President Eisenhower was surely on solid footing when he got behind this profound change. How so? Our history, folks. Our history. I've given only scant proof in today's edition. When I say the evidence that people believed in the God of the Bible as a part of establishing the United States of America, the records backing that up are voluminous to overflowing. I'm thankful for this heritage. I'm thankful I was raised up in a home that attempted to hand this same faith down to us children. I'm not opposed to us knowing all the facts that define where we came from including the ugly and unsightly. At the same time, those facts should not be given priority over the preponderance of the evidence. That's what I set out to say. I noticed how many of the folks I quoted tended to be a little on the wordy side. I know exactly what you are thinking. I should read some of the stuff that I write. Got it. Take care. Thank God for His providential care in our history and in our today. Amen. ....More later.