The American Dream

Psalm 33:12
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance.

Prov. 14:34
Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.

Excerpts from Scotsman Peter Marshall's soul-stirring sermon "The American Dream", preached in the 1940s (from the book A Man Called Peter):

"I venture to say that deep down in the hearts of the men who fought the bitterest of battles--of them who died--there was a glimmering of an understanding that the things for which they fought were somehow all tied up in one bundle of ideals, of concepts, of principles, that we call the American Dream. It is a dream that has shone brightly at times and that has faded at other times...
What is America?
Where is our country going?
Let no answer be lightly made...
Ours is a Covenant Nation...The only surviving nation on earth that had its origins in the determination of the Founding Fathers to establish a settlement 'to the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.'

...Religious liberty to worship God according to the dictates of one's own conscience and equal opportunity for all men...These are the twin pillars of the American Dream.
...The founding fathers sought freedom...not from law but freedom in law; not freedom from government--but freedom in government; not freedom from speech--but freedom in speech; not freedom from the press--but freedom in the press; not freedom from religion--but freedom in religion.
...There are so many things that are wonderful about America--things that are gloriously right and well worth defending. But there are also things that are deeply and dangerously wrong with America, and the true patriot is he who sees them, regrets them, and tries to remove them.
...Let us remember that we are a republic under God. Let us remember that each of the metal coins we jingle in our pockets bears the inscription 'In God We Trust.'"

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

What is the American Dream to me?
To me, it is the inspiring sight of our nation's stars and stripes billowing high in the sky. It is the beautiful sound of our national anthem echoing through the streets. It is the sound of fervent prayers being raised to God for the protection and preservation of our freedom. It is the knowledge that "all men are created equal," that we are free to worship God in the way of our choosing, that we are free to pursue any occupation we please, that we are free to build a home and raise a family on the rich American soil. It is the pride that swells in the heart of every true patriot when he speaks of the home he loves, the "land of the free."

To many, this dream no longer exists. But in the hearts of some, it still thrives as strongly as it did in the hearts of our Founding Fathers. I still cling to the dream.

Dear Father,
Never let us forget that freedom is not free. Protect us from the evil that threatens to take away our liberty. For the sake of your people who still cling to the American Dream, please give our dear country another chance. May we band together and ignite a revival. In your holy name, Amen.