As we celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States, we are mindful of God’s vision for us and all nations. Read Psalm 33:8-14. The psalmist rejoiced in God and declared, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.” The psalmist was a Jewish resident of Israel centuries before the birth of Jesus. The declaration that the psalmist made for Israel is a universal truth. When we look to God for guidance, our nation will be blessed. All the people who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 believed in God, but not all of them were Christian. Some were deists. A deist is one who believes in God. They all had a strong conviction that the new nation they were forming needed a moral foundation that God provides. Later they would write a Bill of Rights that included the freedom to worship. The founders of the nation were anchored in their faith but provided grace to anyone who had a different expression of faith. As we celebrate our nation this year, we are thankful for the freedom to proclaim that God is our God and we are God’s people. 

God of all nations, we give you thanks that we can live in peace with you and with one another worshiping you freely. Continue to bless your people. Amen.