America’s
Greatness
Well, put another candle on our country’s
cake. The good ol’ U.S.A. is turning
#238 this week. In comparison to some
veteran countries like China, Egypt, India and others, we’re just rookies on
the roster. But unlike any other country
in history, we’ve had a breakout season that has made us the global MVP over
two centuries now. We have had greater
blessings in a shorter time than any other country in recorded history (apart
from possibly Israel) and in terms of prosperity, advancements and production,
there is no country that has ever compared.
In 1826, Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville, visited the United States to discover
her secret.
He wrote, “I sought for the greatness
and genius of America in her commodious harbors, and her ample
rivers, and it was not there; in the
fertile fields and boundless prairies, and it was not there; in her rich mines,
and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of
America, and heard her pulpits, aflame with righteousness, did I understand the
secret of her genius and power. America
is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America
will cease to be great.”
When Alexis de Tocqueville talks about greatness of our righteousness, he is
referring to the
fact
that this nation was founded in Godly living from day one. Consider these:
1) Greatness in our heritage.
Patrick
Henry, the great patriot and leader said, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly
or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by
Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Add to that, 52 of 55 Founding Fathers who worked
on the Constitution were members of orthodox churches.
2) Greatness in our government.
In
1892, the Supreme Court stated: “Our
laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the
teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It
is impossible that it should be otherwise.
In this sense and to this extent, our civilizations and our institutions
are emphatically Christian.”
3) Greatness in our educational system.
106
of the first 108 colleges formed in America and 123 of the first 126
universities were formed on
Christian principles including Yale,
Princeton, and Harvard. By 1900, it was
hard to find a University President that was not a clergyman.
Unfortunately, our modern society refuses
to acknowledge that our greatness has come
from
a system that has placed Christ above all else.
And unlike de Tocqueville, they’re attempting to find America’s
greatness in the harbors, rivers, fields, prairies, mines and commerce and
anywhere else besides God for that matter.
Proverbs
14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a
nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”
Put another way, we’re living off the borrowed bounty of those who have
planted before us and only more planting will reverse the trend. And if you’re still not convinced, there are plenty
of countries to prove what happens if we forget the recipe.
Terry Risser
Consider reading the Word today:
Copyright 2014 – Terry Risser
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