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This July, our nation reaches a truly historic milestone—the 250th anniversary of the United States. Two and a half centuries ago, a group of brave men gathered in the summer heat of Philadelphia, risking everything they owned and their very lives to sign the Declaration of Independence. As we celebrate this massive birthday, it is the perfect time to look back at the true faith of the founding fathers and see how God’s hand has guided us from the very beginning.
We must not take these freedoms and blessings for granted we have been given here in America. Our freedom was given by God and must be preserved by God.
May 17, 1776: The Day of Prayer that Launched a Nation
The Continental Congress passed this resolution on March 16, 1776, introduced by New Jersey delegate William Livingston and signed by John Hancock. It designated May 17 as a day for the colonies to pause, repent, and seek God’s guidance as war with Britain loomed. Looking at the impending conflict with Great Britain, Congress urged citizens to fast, confess their sins, and humbly request God to “frustrate the cruel purposes of our unnatural enemies.” They viewed the war as an “unnatural” conflict between brothers, and prayed for God to incline hearts toward justice.
May 15, 1776: Washington Orders Strict Obedience
Two days before the national day of prayer, General George Washington issued strict orders to the Continental Army from his headquarters in New York. He suspended all military labor for the day and commanded his officers and soldiers to pay strict obedience to fasting and prayer, stating that through their “unfeigned piety and devotion, a blessing may be experienced upon our arms.”
The entire country paused. Soldiers stood with their chaplains, and citizens filled the churches, pouring out their hearts, repenting, and seeking God’s guidance for the future of the colonies.
July 4, 1776: The Birth of Freedom
Fewer than two months after that national day of prayer, the spiritual breakthrough manifested into political courage. The Founders confidently stepped forward to declare:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The Faith of the Founding Fathers Behind the Marble Monuments
When we look back at the history of 1776, it is easy to view the founding fathers as larger-than-life figures carved in marble. You can read the incredible, true story of how it all came together on the National Archives Historical Records. But if you read their actual words and study their journals, you discover something much more human, and deeply inspiring: they were men who knew their own limitations, and they relied completely on the providence of Almighty God.
They knew that breaking away from the most powerful empire in the world was, humanly speaking, an impossible task. They didn’t possess a massive army or endless riches. What they did have was a profound, unshakeable conviction that freedom was a gift given by the Creator, not by a king.
Right in the very text of the Declaration of Independence, they laid out this foundation of faith. They wrote that ” all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” And at the very end of the document, they made a solemn vow, stating that they did so “with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence.”
Those words show us the real faith of the founding fathers. They weren’t relying on their own human strength. They were anchoring themselves entirely to God’s protection.
When you trace the long arc of the last 250 years, you can see how God answered those early prayers. Through devastating wars, internal strife, economic depressions, and immense cultural shifts, God has sustained us. He brought us through the darkest valleys of our history, not because we have ever been a perfect nation, but because His mercy and grace are endless.
Scripture tells us in Psalm 33:12:
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.
God has Blessed America
As we celebrate this monumental milestone this Fourth of July, let’s look past the fireworks and the barbecues for a moment. Let’s look back at our foundation. God has been with us as a nation through every single chapter, guiding us through the storms and giving us strength when our own strength failed. Just as He does for each of us today.
Our ultimate freedom is found in Christ, and it is that spiritual anchor that allows us to stand steady today. As we watch the flags wave this July, let it be a reminder to pray for our country, to seek God’s wisdom, and to thank Him for 250 years of unmerited favor and faithfulness.
And just as He has sustained our nation through the storms of history. He is faithful to sustain each of us individually, to carry you through whatever storm you are walking through today.
If you are going through a hard time right now—if you are carrying a heavy burden, facing an uncertain diagnosis, or feeling overwhelmed by the weight of life—please know that the very same Divine Providential God that held a young country together holds your life in His hands today. You are not forgotten, and you do not have to carry this weight alone.
Scripture also reminds us in Psalm 34:18: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Finding Strength in Your Darkest Valley
When we talk about the faith of the founding fathers, we have to look past the cozy assembly rooms of Philadelphia and look out into the freezing, muddy fields where the ordinary soldiers fought.
Think of the winter at Valley Forge. Historians tell us that thousands of soldiers had no shoes, wrapping their bleeding feet in coarse rags just to march through the snow. They faced starvation, rampant disease and freezing conditions that should have broken their spirits completely. Yet, so many of those men were deeply rooted Christians who carried small, pocket-sized Bibles into battle. They knelt in the snow to pray, crying out to the same Lord who promises to be an ever-present help in times of trouble.
God did not prevent the winter from coming, but He did something greater: He brought them through it. He sustained them through conditions that seemed completely hopeless, proving that when our human strength is totally gone, His strength is just getting started.
Maybe you are walking through your own spiritual winter right now. I know what it feels like to face a season where the conditions of life feel too harsh to bear.
There was a season in my life when an unexpected diagnosis turned our family’s world upside down, and the fear felt as biting and cold as a winter wind. When the weight of financial uncertainty and family burdens felt so heavy that I didn’t know how we would make it to the next morning.
I have stood in that place of deep grief and overwhelming exhaustion where my own strength was completely gone, and all I could do was cry out to God in the dark. If you are there today I know how you are feeling. I couldn’t have made it through without the Lord’s help. For sure I would not have had any kind of peace going through it on my own.
A Final Word for the Weary
There are times when all of us go through dark times—seasons when the emotional weight can be so heavy that it leaves us feeling completely hopeless.
But we need hope. Hope is like oxygen. With it, we thrive, but without it, we die.
If you are reading this today and you feel like you have lost your battle, completely drained, and unable to continue—if you feel like you are drowning—please hear me: I pray you find hope today, because our God is the God of hope.
Sometimes, an encouraging word from someone is all we need to keep going. It gives us that vital puff of hope. My ultimate goal here is to help you feel valued, respected, supported and hopeful about your future. But we cannot do this alone; we need each other. We need to actively encourage each other.
The Apostle Paul reminded the early church of this in 1 Thessalonians 5:11:
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
I believe with all my heart that we need to help and lift each other up. By helping someone else you will be helping yourself. Won’t you reach out and help someone today? Will you choose to encourage them? Or perhaps, will you encourage yourself to get up today?
Where to Find True Refreshment
There are days when we feel so empty that we have absolutely nothing left to give anyone else. In those low seasons, remember that God works in beautiful ways: sometimes He will send someone to encourage you, and other times He will send you to be the answer to someone else’s prayer.
But above all, you can always find immediate encouragement right in God’s Word. The Bible is full of living refreshment for the weary. It will lift your soul and steady your heart. God can speak a fresh word of peace to you every single day—if you simply open your Bible and read.
Scripture promises us in Romans 15:4:
“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.”
If you are facing a Goliath in your life today.
Maybe it’s because God see’s a David in you.
David didn’t fight his battles alone. You don’t have to either! God is your strength He goes before you!
When you feel like you are stuck in the mire, remember the beautiful testimony of King David in Psalm 40:1-3:
“I waited patiently for the LORD, and he reached down to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the mud; And he set my feet on a rock, making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.”
Let God Give You Hope
True, lasting hope comes directly from the encouragement of God, through Scripture. Won’t you open your Bible today?
No matter how deep the pit feels today, the Lord is still reaching down, still clearing the mud, and He is still faithful to put a new song in your mouth. You are valued, you are loved, and there is hope ahead.
If you are searching for that kind of life-changing hope today, the greatest news is that it is fully available to you right now. God doesn’t just want to carry you through this temporary storm; He wants to give you an eternal foundation that can never be shaken. If you have never made the decision to anchor your life to Him, or if you want to understand just how much He loves you, I invite you to visit my page God’s Plan of Salvation. It is the most important decision you will ever make.
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This blog is a place where we remind each other that we never have to walk through the valleys alone. If this message brought a little bit of “oxygen” to your soul today, won’t you help spread that hope to someone else?
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4 responses to “Built on Sacred Honor: Remembering God’s Hand in 1776”
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Well done!
Isn’t it awesome that 250 years after the first dedication of our country to God, our country was rededicated back to God on the very same day May 17th?!!
Not just anyone, but by our president.
And the date was set on that date unknowingly of the past.
Only God!-
Ceriln I know it is amazing. I absolutely agree only God! I found this on the celebration if anyone is interested. https://www.youtube.com/live/tkPG15hmd4I?si=5Z9KkzDv5_bp6Amj Thank you for reading.
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Thank you Debbie for your very encouraging words!! God and history work so well together! Each verse you shared in your blog the Lord had brought to my mind!! Thank you again. Rich
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Thank you Rich for reading and sharing your thoughts. I appreciate you. It’s always good to remember where we came from and who takes care of us.
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A thought, verse, or prayer to share? I’d love to read it.
From my family to yours, have a beautiful, blessed, and historic Fourth of July!
But we need hope. Hope is like oxygen. With it, we thrive, but without it, we die.
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A thought, verse, or prayer to share? I’d love to read it.