Birth of a Nation 7-4-06

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the ruler of the nations and one day all will walk in Your light and bow to Your glory (Revelation 21:24). All by Your grace, I choose to walk in Your light and bow to Your glory today. ... "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:34). Today we celebrate the birth of our nation on July 4th, 1776 with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. From the recorded journals and writings of those who made history at that time, history cannot deny that You were on their minds. In signing their names and sealing their oaths of independence on that day, they also affirmed their dependence upon You: "And for support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance upon Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." You are Divine Providence. And there is no honor that is not sacred honor. Blessed is the nation and blessed is the people who remember to honor You. "And now, Almighty Father, if it is Thy holy will that we shall obtain a place and name among the nations of the earth, grant that we may be enabled to show our gratitude for Thy goodness by our endeavors to fear and obey Thee. Bless us with Thy wisdom in our counsels, success in battle, and let all our victories be tempered with humanity. Endow, also, our enemies with enlightened minds, that they become sensible of their injustice, and willing to restore our liberty and peace. Grant the petition of Thy servant, for the sake of Him whom Thou hast called Thy beloved Son; nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done" (General George Washington, private prayer of June 1779 from his headquarters on the Hudson River). Restore us in Your righteousness; forgive us of our sins; remind us of our calling and destiny as a nation who proclaims liberty, fights for freedom, and lives in honor. Like all people of all nations, we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But You desire Your mercy to triumph over judgment. And You desire to redeem and restore as You remind us of Your hand of Divine Providence that reaches out to every nation who will humble herself to take it. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12, NKJV). In our celebrations today, may we also remember to humble ourselves to take Your hand and praise Your name for the blessing of our birth and the faithful fulfillment of our destiny. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe or to order my teaching and prayer dvd's and cd's for spiritual transformation, write to me at Messiah Ministries MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord." 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502: www.messiah-ministries. orgCome to The Fountain the 3rd Friday night of every month at 7 pm for our citywide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship. Daily archives of my devotional: www.morningbymorning.injesus.com