What Are You Celebrating Today, February 16, 2015?
Many people are calling today President’s Day. For most of them, President’s day is a time to honor all of the presidents of the United States of America. Some people think of today as the celebration of our first president, George Washington. Others think of today as a time to celebrate the birthdays of two presidents, Abraham Lincoln, born February 12, and George Washington, born February 22. Finally, there are those who think of President’s Day as a time when retailers offer great bargains on their merchandise.
What is President’s Day for you?
Today is a good time for all Christians to be reminded of the fact that our nation was founded on Biblical principles. We need to give special recognition to all of the presidents of our great country who publically acknowledged the role of God in our country.
Many of our presidents had a reverence for the Lord. I will mention four by name.
In a Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by President George Washington, at the request of Congress, on October 3, 1789, Washington stated, “It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor.”
John Adams, our second president stated, “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”
In 1788, James Madison, our fourth president said, “The belief in God all powerful wise and good, is so essential to the moral order of the world and to the happiness of man, that arguments which enforce it cannot be drawn from too many sources nor adapted with too much solicitude to the different characters and capacities to be impressed with it.”
In God We Trust was first inscribed on U.S. coins in 1864 under President Lincoln (our 16th president).
In addition to the four presidents listed above, many other presidents recognized God for who is and depended on Him for daily guidance. These men understood that they needed to “Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (1 Chronicles 16:11 ESV) We should all be grateful for these Godly men who were willing to publically profess their belief in God and use Biblical principles to govern our nation.
Unfortunately, our current president and many of our current government leaders appear no longer to be seeking God’s guidance for governing America. At the same time, Biblical principles are being eliminated from proposed legislation. America can not continue to be a prosperous nation and a world power if this trend continues. Christians need to be praying fervently for our current president, our current government officials, and our nation.
President’s Day is a time to remember and honor our past presidents and a time to pray for our current president.
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV)
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! (Psalm 33:12 ESV)
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