Thank God for the United States of America.

Democracy by definition is “government by the people.” Democratic countries have different variations of how this “rule by the people” is conducted, but the key is that the people of the country ultimately control its direction.

Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”

Almost all the founders of the United States of America were practicing Christians, and for over two hundred years, the people of this American democracy have ruled to maintain the Christian foundation of America. The USA has been incredibly blessed over these years, and our Christian virtues and people have led the USA to be an incredible blessing to the rest of the world.

It is our responsibility, in our country ruled by the people, to make sure our God, and as a result our country’s God, is the Lord. If we do, we can have confidence that God will Bless America.

Dear Lord, on this day we celebrate the independence of the United States of America, we thank you for the blessing of living here and the tremendous positive influence this country has been in the world. Help us, the people of America, to govern our country as Christians, so that your blessings may continue on this great, and grateful country. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

In modern times when we hear the word “peace” we tend to think of the absence of war or absence of conflict between people. Jesus is described in the Bible as the “Prince of Peace” and in John 14:27 He says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Jesus’ peace is a peace for you personally. Closer to the dictionary definition of “quiet and tranquility: Mental calm; serenity.” We can have this peace through our faith in Jesus. He wants us to pass our troubles, sorrows, and concerns to Him and ask for His help. If we trust Him, we can be at peace.

The apostle Paul describes it in Philippians 4:7 “The peace of God which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” We may not understand it, but through faith in God we can have peace.

Dear Lord, Help us trust You and accept Your peace in our lives, knowing that You will guard and protect us. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Repent…..John the Baptist preached it “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand”

What does Repent really mean? In Matthew 3:8 John said “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.” Repenting is our recognition of our sins, and our sincere apology that we cannot consistently obey God and overcome our sins and temptation to sin. We need to continuously remember this, and at the same time rejoice and be grateful for the Grace of Jesus who took the entire blame and punishment for our sins.

The acknowledgment of repenting makes the blessing of forgiveness so much more personal and powerful.

It is like pleading guilty, being sentenced to life in prison without parole then immediately being pardoned and celebrating freedom.

This is the Joy of Salvation!

Dear Lord Jesus our Savior we repent of our sins and our sinful nature. Thank you for saving us from the misery we deserve and giving us the peace of forgiveness and Salvation. Amen.

One thing that will cause frustration in our lives is comparing ourselves to others. God made us all so unique, in our skills, circumstances, relationships, and so many other ways that there truly is no way to make an accurate comparison. We can often fall into the trap of comparing individual aspects of our lives to other people’s. The trouble occurs when we believe we are “better,” than others, or when we believe we are “inferior,” to others. Both of these situations cause trouble.

God made each of us uniquely for his purpose. In Galatians 6:4,5 Paul writes, “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.”

He also wrote in Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

We need to focus on where God is leading us, and be happy for others who do the same in their lives.

Dear Lord, You made amazing plans for each of us, but we must trust you to see where they lead. Help us do that, by just taking each step forward in the direction we hear you calling, and not compare ourselves to others who are on their own paths. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

You have probably heard someone use this expression when they seemingly have tried everything to get something accomplished, “What’s it going to take to…….”

In the Old Testament, God sent prophets to the people to try to get them to change their ways. One of these prophets was Amos.

In Amos 4:6 he tells the people God’s message saying, “I brought hunger to every city and famine to every town. But still you would not return to me. says the Lord.”

God is saying in essence, “what’s it going to take to get you people to return and follow me?”

We cannot know if the causes of problems in our lives are put there by God to get us to return to him, but they may be. Either way, however, we should turn to him for help, comfort, and resolution of the struggles in our lives.

Dear Lord, When we have negative experiences, may they remind us to return to you. You are our strength, protection and salvation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.