D-Day

June 6, 2014 is the 70^th anniversary of the allied invasion of Normandy. There has been no other event like it in history. Never had there been or has there been such a massive undertaking on men, machines and motivation as the invasion of Normandy. It was a day of devotion to comrades, country and capitulation of the evil that had spread across Europe in the Axis Empire.

Eugene Peterson in his paraphrase speaks of devotion as Solomon wrote:

God-devotion makes a country strong;
    God-avoidance leaves people weak. Proverbs 14:34 The Message

Although this nation did not know it for sure they believed they were strong and the Bible reveals our strength. Our nation was founded on some basic beliefs about the source of government. The basic tenant of government as spoken by Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address. “That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Daniel Hannan in a November 19, 2013 article wrote the follow as to the origin of that famous quote. “Those words have been quoted ever since as the supreme vindication of representative government. Indeed, they are often quoted as proof of American exceptionalism. But the words were not Lincoln’s... They came from the prologue to what was probably the earliest translation of the Bible into the English language: “This Bible is for the government of the people, for the people and by the people.” The author was the theologian John Wycliffe, sometimes called “the Morning Star of the Reformation.” Astonishingly, they had first appeared in 1384.” John Wycliffe believed in the centrality of the Bible for people’s lives Hannan wrote. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100246622/150-years-ago-today-abraham-lincoln-praised-government-of-the-people-by-the-people-for-the-people-but-the-words-were-not-his/ accessed 6.5.14

The God-Devotion was rooted in the devotion of the government. Not the political machine but in the people. Individual Americans who were devoted to God were the source of the government and the conduit of God’s strength in one of our greatest trials. That is why we were strong and that is why our strength is waning.

It has become apparent to me that we as a people are quick to blame and take to task the “secularization of America” by our government yet fail to see our “government” is a reflection of the secularization of each of us. In personal matters we are quick to listen to the talking heads of self-help and relationship guru’s on Hoda and Kathy Lee yet unwilling and unable to be devoted to the teachings of the Bible, God’s Word. We say “it’s too hard.” Well of course it’s hard, the best things for us in life are hard. “It’s swimming upstream,” well of course we are to be counter to the culture of secularism and humanism as the proverb reminds us that a culture of “God-Avoidance” leaves “people weak.”

On this the 70^th anniversary of D-Day let’s have D stand for devotion. Let’s make a new commitment to be a people devoted to God. Love God first, most and love people as ourselves is to be the source of our turn around as a nation, as families and as individuals.

The power of God is the difference between believing IN God and believing God! Those service members who came ashore 70 years ago faced a withering defense and overcame due to a devotion to God by this nation and its people. Our commitment to a renewed devotion to God in Jesus Christ seems the only fitting memorial for their “D-Day” devotion 70 years ago.

In HIS Service and Yours,

Bro G