I hope all who are reading this today love our country and our flag and are thankful for this country that God has blessed us with.
It was during the War of 1812 that Francis Scott Key wrote a poem which became our national anthem on March 3, 1931. Key had witnessed the British as they bombarded Fort McHenry in the Baltimore area during the war. It was after a perilous night of fighting when Key saw the beloved flag still waving that he penned the poem.
We are all familiar with the first stanza, but let’s read through the wonderful words of the second.
O thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation;
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just;
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Did you catch these words? “Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation!” Then two lines later he penned, And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
From the time the Pilgrims settled to the present day, we need to be praising God for His hand of blessing upon us; for victory after victory in battles of all sorts. We must never trust our own resources or strength, but as the motto says, “In God is our trust.” All you need to do to remind yourself of this is pull a coin out of your pocket.
There are those who want to remove these words. They have taken God out of practically everything; let’s not let them do this. And let’s always honor our flag as I close with the last few words of our national anthem:
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
May God continue to bless the U.S.A!
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will trust in the Lord our God!” Psalm 20:7