What does God want for America's next 250?

Blessings or storms?

Not even a month after the Declaration of Independence was publicly read in Charleston, South Carolina, George Washington’s Continental Army suffered a terrible rout that could have ended the American Revolution cold. It was the Battle of Brooklyn Heights on the night of August 29-30, 1776. Washington himself credited God for allowing his troops to escape to Manhattan. It was a miracle with many parts: British General William Howe exploited the Continental’s tactical errors and had trapped the entire force between Howe’s soldiers and the river.

But…that afternoon, seemingly inexplicably, Howe did not press his attack and end the rebellion. It wasn’t inexplicable—in June 1775, Howe sustained the bloodiest, highest casualty rate in the history of the British Army, a dubious distinction that stands to this day, at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Under Howe, the British Army would never again engage Americans in a frontal attack. Instead, his troops dug entrenchments around Washington’s men, planning to conquer them the next day.

Washington had few options, so he took the only one that didn’t involve defeat or surrender. Summoning every vessel that floats, he ordered his men to cross the East River by night. Howe had men scouting the river, for just such a case, but a thick fog rolled in about midnight, allowing the small rebel force to cross unobserved. A miracle?

There were so many times that it seems God, through His divine will, allowed the United States to be born. And not only born, but constructed in a way that no other nation in history had been born. The people that came together, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, John Jay, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and so many others, represented some of the finest minds, well-rounded in philosophy, government, and literature, on the planet at the time. They came together in Philadelphia to craft a document to found a nation, and then a Constitution hammered out over a hot summer in 1787.

Upon hearing of George Washington declining a third term in office, King George III reacted in astonishment. Such an act places Washington “in a light the most distinguished of any man living,” making him “the greatest character of the age.” Most rulers believed that no living man could behave like Cincinnatus of the ancient world once power was obtained. Was it divine providence that elevated Washington as the face of the American Revolution and the new nation’s first president?

(An aside: the sentiment was not returned by Washington. In 1921, a statue of Washington was gifted to Britain by the Commonwealth of Virginia, and placed in London. The gift included a quantity of Virginia soil under the statue’s base, for George Washington vowed never to set foot on British soil. It still stands today.)

Even in immoral action or acts of naked conquest, it seems the favor of God has always been on America. For when the world needed a force for good, America stepped up. We suffered 600,000 dead in the war to end slavery. During the worst times, when a racist president—Woodrow Wilson—took the country by its progressive populist throat, and the Spanish Flu pandemic ravaged the western world, America still sent doughboys to Europe to end the Great War.

On June 6, 1945, the overcast weather kept our planes from being spotted during Operation Overlord, and Allied intelligence disinformation kept the Nazis from reacting. German scientists purposely used flawed formulas to keep the Nazi effort from pursuing an atomic bomb from advancing, while America, knowing the threat, put all its effort into building the bomb. The worst nightmares in the world came from minds gathered to America, and the policies of our government kept the world from succumbing to nuclear holocaust despite our own missteps.

Was it God’s divine will to make the United States the protector of freedom around the world, and the stabilizing force to keep the earth from nuclear devastation? I don’t believe in pure luck, or unanchored destiny. Men sin, and God’s purposes are fulfilled through our imperfection and rebellion.

Yesterday, on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, America convulsed with national pride. The world is witness to our kindness, our generosity, and our incredible abundance, as this birthday happened in the midst of the World Cup in America. The leader of the Roman Catholic Church is American. The 1932 Olympics were held in Los Angeles. Last night, for the first time since that event, the flame was rekindled at the Los Angeles Coliseum during the America 250 Block Party. In 2028, the Olympics return to America.

In Washington D.C., a dangerous heat wave and storms caused the evacuation of the National Mall and the delay of President Donald Trump’s speech. Was that a divine harbinger or warning? Trump’s speech was short, but full of American pride. He railed against communism, but we had foiled the communist threat decades ago. Those who wish to control always need a threat.

America has risen above such sentiments before. God’s hand has been on this nation, but it is not guaranteed. Should we stray enough from the will of God, then His will shall be accomplished by others. For 250 years, the best minds, the most generous souls, have been gathered to our shores. Now, storms brew. We should heed the warnings, and look heavenward for our sustenance.

The next 250 years may be the most abundant the human race has ever known. Or it may be the end of this age. Christians believe the end is nigh, and the return of Christ is imminent at any moment. If this is true, we should act like it, and follow the example of our Savior. Too many American Christians confuse Americanism with Christianity. This is a grave error.

America may be heaven on earth for many who enjoy our freedoms and riches, but it is still on a fallen earth. The real heaven is for those who lower themselves to be servants of all, and thereby rise above such nationalist thoughts. America has been blessed by God, but only when Americans bless God.

His will is for us to follow Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” Do this and we will enjoy another 250 years of blessing, or as much time as God allows before the return of His Son. Stray, and the storms will continue to gather. And next time, there may not be a clear sky afterward.

But for now, swell with honor and blessing. Have a blessed day, and enjoy the end of your July 4th weekend.