For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11

Today is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States of America. With the representative form of government in this federal republic, it can seem as if candidates for public office begin campaigning for the next election as soon as the last election is over. And between federal elections, there are elections for municipalities, county officials, school board members, and special bonds, which usually mean a tax increase. Do you ever wonder where God is in all of this?

The Judeo-Christian view of a providential God was widely recognized in the earliest days of America, from the era of the first colonialists until that powerful time when the founders declared the nation’s independence. In 1776, Minister John Witherspoon, himself a signer of the Declaration, spoke of the providence of God, understanding Him to be “a wise and directing presence in their lives.” Their prayers were that God would direct and protect them. Frequently, during the Revolutionary War and throughout the Continental Congresses, the public was called to national days of fasting and prayer to beseech God’s favor. They were, in essence, employing that portion of the Lord’s Prayer that invokes, “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

You may be inclined to feel discouraged over the ways this nation has rejected God and His ways, calling evil good and good evil. Yet, you can place your trust in the Lord and His good purposes, as today’s verse highlights. God calls you to live righteously: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light“ (Ephesians 5:8, NIV). Remember that God WILL have His way on Earth as He most certainly does in Heaven, and pray according to His will.

Intercede today for the many in the U.S. government who do not know to seek the will of God. Ask that those striving for the plans of humankind will repent and turn to the Savior for redemption, seeking the will and favor of God for the nation’s future.