God Blessed America

This past week, I couldn't help but take notice that during the Major League
All-Star Game, a stadium full of people sang, "God, Bless America." While
so many were singing, "God, Bless America," I was thinking to myself, "God
blessed America!"

When's the last time we stopped to consider how many ways God has already
blessed America? When's the last time we paused long enough to give him
thanks? We frequently ask God to "Bless America," but we infrequently give
him thanks because he has "Blessed America."

As a matter of fact, when I think of the request, "God, Bless America," I
must wonder why he would want to do so? I find it rather nervy of our
nation to ask God to bless us when we have removed the Bible from public
education; when we have removed prayer from public forums; when we are
attempting to remove any references to the cross, the ten commandments, and
Christianity from public and federal property; when we have ignored God's
command not to murder, and we have granted mothers the right to murder their
own children; and when we have ignored God's definition of marriage and
created our own. And the list can go on and on.

In light of this, why would God bless America today? In my judgment, if we
are going to muster the nerve to ask God to bless us, it's time to give him
thanks for all the ways in which he has blessed us in the past. It's time
to allow God to freely move without restraint within this nation that he has
made so great. It's time we recognize his place as God and obey his laws.
And it's time for God's people to make intercession on behalf of those
within our nation who do not know him. That would be a much needed start if
we truly want God to bless America as he has blessed America in the past.

--Steve Higginbotham