Of what nation can it be said, "Their God is the LORD?"
Israel’s God was the LORD, capitalized because the word, LORD is written and spoken as a substitute for God’s most holy personal name. It set them apart as a people to know Him by name. Yet His name was not something they would flaunt or toss around in vain.
For that reason, Israel was blessed, not because of their brilliant leadership, industrious people, vibrant economy, wise judiciary, or lovely landscapes, but because of their God and their relationship with Him.
There has been only one holy nation among the governments of men and there shall be no others. All other nations are, by definition, secular. In them, we who follow Jesus are all resident aliens. Our citizenship is in Heaven, our highest loyalty, to God.
That being the case, a nation can honor God in its justice, compassion, integrity, and fairness with others. Its people can individually honor Him with their worship and love. The nation itself can choose to stand among the blessed sheep in Matthew 25 who treat the poor and helpless with dignity and mercy and thus welcome Jesus.
That is what nations can do and how nations may be blessed.
America is blessed to the extent that those principles of human dignity, soul freedom, and justice upon which she was founded are observed and honored. In them, God is honored, the flag is dignified, and the people are blessed.
America is under judgment and prophetic criticism to the extent that those things are not true.
We honor our country for her gifts of freedom and prosperity to us and because so often, she and her citizens have done the right thing by others just because it was right and with no promise of reward.
But there is much room for repentance of past and present injustice. There is much room for improvement. True patriotism is self-critical and hopeful of the possibilities for change.
We do not need to make America great again or anything again. We need to make America what its founding documents and principles said, no matter what the authors meant, it could be: God-honoring through compassion, justice, liberty, and truth.
We can hope and pray that for every nation.
