God created nations, and He loves them. In fact, we are told in Revelation about the leaves of a tree used to heal the nations. Love of country does not equal hate of another country or other people. It simply means that you love your home.

The word patriot comes from the Greek word patris, father. A patriot values his fatherland. Patriotism remembers our Founding Fathers who worked very hard to found this nation and used God’s laws as a pattern. Sacrifices were made then and have been made in all the years since. Blessings were given at its inception and continue to this day, both deserved and undeserved. For these things – wise founders, great sacrifice, and God’s blessings – we are grateful. And one thing more: I’m extremely grateful for my freedom. How about you?

The Continental Congress’ initial meeting was on September 7, 1774. It began with prayer. This nation began on its knees, and that is the way it will be preserved. As citizens, we yes, we patriots, commend the good, help fix the wrong, repent of sin, and pray for national revival. We pray for wise leaders who fear God. God intends to use rulers for good and when they reject him, the entire nation suffers. When they are righteous, the nation is blessed.

We live in a time when many of our country’s citizens are uneducated about those first citizens, the ones on whose shoulders we stand. Some debate the Constitution and its merit. It strikes me as the height of arrogance to believe that because the Founders lived over 200 years ago, they knew less than we do today; that the morals someone picks like cherries from a tree are better suited to a nation than God’s standards. “None of these perspectives acknowledges the grateful recognition of the Founding Fathers that life is a gift from God, not an affront to human desires. Reaffirming both folk wisdom and Christian orthodoxy, a healthy respect for limits, woven into the fabric of the Republic from the beginning, offers a way to recover the political and moral realism that contemporary Americans have lost.”

So this 4th of July, get on your knees in thanks, repentance, and request. Then stand up straight and true, put your hand over your heart, and pledge allegiance to the flag of your nation. It’s a good thing.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!