American Exceptionalism: Why America Is Blessed!

Principle: when first things are first… “in His time”(Act1:7), God moves to bless—which means to confirm, establish and multiply(increase)! For example, if the first priority of a nation* is not God** it becomes exceedingly difficult for God to bless the people. Why?  When the first priority is not placed first, things will have been thrown out of their proper perspective.  Normally, one would naturally think the second priority would move-up to first place, when the first priority is rejected, yet this is rarely the case as man’s sin nature causes the lesser priorities to take predominance over the more important things. 
  However, when the number one priority is to place God first, He intervenes to make the 2nd, 3rd,4th, and 5th things all align in their proper order. Remember, God is the Creator of order (Jer31:35-37) and works greatest within that order!!
 
  Allow me to offer one small example of this nation making God first priority, indicating why God has so blessed*** America. In 1775 the government leaders of the Virginia colony met in their Second Virginia Convention to determine their future involvement in the threatening war with Britain. The first group of delegates asserted that Britain was too powerful and America too weak. However, Patrick Henry, also a delegate, rose and responded with his famous ‘Give me Liberty or give me death’ speech:
 
“Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people armed in the holy cause of liberty and in such a country as that which we possess are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God Who presides over the destinies of nations, and Who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave…Gentlemen may cry, “Peace, peace” but there is no peace, The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
 
   First, notice this speech was not in a church, but directed to government officials! Why is this important? Because Henry’s words overwhelmingly indicate how the Word of God was part of the normal ‘culture’ of America!!! This doesn’t mean that everything in the culture at this time was perfect! It simply means that Americans were looking to God, i.e. His word, for His help even in the midst of their imperfections!!!
   Second, let’s examine the incredible amount of God’s word included in this speech:
1.“God of nature”.  First, Henry’s use of “God of nature” is a reference to the Creator God (Gen1; Ps121:2); Whom not only created all things, but also made His creation to behave according to certain laws (Rom1:20; 2:14,15).  Second, Henry’s statement probably alludes to the term “laws of nature and of nature’s God” which was later used by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence; yet does NOT refer to deism4*! William Blackstone used seven pages5* in his ‘Commentaries on the Laws of England’ to explain the ‘laws of nature and of nature’s God’, revealing that its foundation is rooted in the Bible. Before the war with Britain, Blackstone’s ‘Commentaries’ were mandatory reading for all law students in the colonies and would have been familiar to Patrick Henry as well as the other delegates in the Virginia Convention.
2.“holy cause of liberty”. Liberty was a “holy cause” because God created man to be free to serve Him (2Cor3:17; Gal5:1,13;). The freedom from sin, organically leads to political freedom, and freedom to create.
3.“we shall not fight our battles alone”. This statement originates in 2Chronicles 32:8.
4. “just God”. This clause originates in Is45:21; Deut32:4; Ps75:7; 2Thes1:6.
5.“Who presides over the destinies of nations”. This statement originates in Dan4:17.
6.“Who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us”. This is from 2Chron32:8.
7.“The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone”. This comes from Eccl9:11
8.“Peace, peace” but there is no peace”. This is from Jer6:11 and Jer8:11.
9.“Why stand we here idle?”.  This is from Matt20:6
 
   As you can see, Henry’s government speech was filled with the Word of God in spite of the fact that he was not a pastor/preacher/reverend, but a government official!!!
   First, this reveals just how important living according to the Word of God was to their culture. Second, this teaches that they had faith in God.  Like David with his battle with Goliath, these Americans believed God would indeed deliver them from an impossible foe!! Third, because the Word of God was so natural to the culture at this time, Bible references were unnecessary.
 
   In conclusion, this is just one example of overwhelming evidence that America was conceived in the Word of God!!!!
-If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.                                           -Jn15:7
-If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. -Is1:19
 
   Because America has historically made the Word of God top priority, God has blessed*** this nation more than any nation…in the history of the world!!!!
 
 *individual or family too
**Bible, Word of God
*** confirm, establish, multiply
4* See ‘Defending the Declaration’, by Gary Amos.
5* ‘Defending the Declaration’, by Gary Amos. Pg 42
 
Quotebit
"The illiterate of the future are not those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."                                                           -Alvin Toffler