10The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.11The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
A blessed nation is one that puts God first, right? That's what verse 12 says. And, our leaders have the choice whether or not to align with God and His wisdom, relying on His providence - or not. We can follow His counsel, which I believe the brave founders of this nation did, or reject His principles and experience the removal of His hand upon our country. I think we can see that America is deeply divided with respect to whether or not we rely on God. That's why it's so important that we come before the Lord in prayer - for our leaders, for an awareness of the Lord, and for revival in our land. Spiritual awakening will come only as the church takes seriously the issues at hand, speaking to God fervently and being willing to speak to our culture boldly.
Daniel can be a great inspiration to us - he was a man who trusted in God for wisdom, who was intent on living in a "set apart" manner, who would not cease to pray, even though he was told not to. Because of God's strategic positioning of this man in the lives of leaders, he had enormous influence. He courageously stepped up to interpret the king's dream. He said in Daniel chapter 2:
20Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.21And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.22He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.
In Carroll County, Maryland earlier this year, a commissioner opened up a meeting with a prayer, which had been the tradition in the county until a Federal judge had barred Carroll County commissioners from invoking Jesus Christ in their pre-meeting prayers. According to the Baltimore Sun, Commissioner Robin B. Frazier did just that — twice — saying she was willing to go to jail for her beliefs.
She said, “That is an infringement on my First Amendment rights of free speech, and I think it is a wrong ruling...," before starting a prayer that included the line, “Let thy blessings guide this day and forever, through Jesus Christ.”
Barnett is quoted by the Sun as saying, “This might be a good opportunity to demonstrate how our Founding Fathers, and leaders all throughout our history, have upheld the idea that we are a nation based on biblical principles.” She went on to say, “We're one nation under God, and I believe that's where our inalienable rights come from.”
She said that she would be using the words of George Washington as she prayed, quoting, “I beseech thee, for the sake of him in whom thou art well pleased, the Lord Jesus Christ, to admit me to render thee deserved thanks and praises for thy manifold mercies extended toward me.” Even though there has been some doubt cast on whether or not Washington said the prayer, I still believe her point is clear and valid.
Her stance drew a written warning from the residents who sued the county to stop the prayers, which they say excludes people who don’t share the commissioners’ beliefs. In a letter to the board’s lawyers, the plaintiffs had said they would seek contempt charges if she did not back down.
In a statement in response to the ruling, the County Commission said that it would continue to fight the case in court but recognized that the judge's ruling had the force of law. The members “respect the judge’s position in our American legal system,” the statement continued.
The judge had issued a temporary injunction saying that the commissioners can continue to pray at the beginning of meetings but must refrain from mentioning deities linked to any specific faith. He rejected an argument that the board members were praying in a personal capacity, writing that the invocations amounted to “government speech.”
The commissioners’ statement said they believe the term “Lord of Lords, King of Kings, creator of planet Earth and the universe and our own creator” and several others would pass legal muster.
The board added that it “does not discriminate against anyone based on their religious beliefs or non-beliefs.”
The Sun reported that the board had suspended its practice of allowing so-called, "sectarian" prayers, but after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Town of Greece, New York, the judge who had issued the original order lifted his injunction, and the board voted unanimously to resume its prayers.
Commissioner Richard Rothschild voiced his support, saying, "I think our system of government is derived from Judeo-Christian principles, and it's important to recognize those principles now in government."
The commissioners plan to take turns leading prayers to open meetings.
Rothschild called hearing Frazier say the first prayer after the removal of the judge's order a "freeing" experience.
"I thought to myself that I could now pray consistent with my conscience, and no longer violate my own spiritual beliefs."
According to Amy Howe's analysis of the Greece decision on the SCOTUS Blog website,
Nearly thirty years ago, in a case called Marsh v. Chambers, the Supreme Court held that the Nebraska legislature’s practice of beginning its sessions with a prayer by a chaplain who was paid by the state did not violate the Constitution...Today, by a bare majority, the Court agreed.She pointed out that the Court said that nothing in the Marsh decision suggested that legislative prayer can only be constitutional if it uses “neutral” language that refers “only to a generic God.” She surmises that to the contrary, the members of Congress who wrote the First Amendment would have expected prayers to contain exactly the kind of “explicitly religious themes” about which the plaintiffs complained.
It's been quite a remarkable year from the high court, including the Greece case and the Hobby Lobby decision - but that fact that these were 5-4 decisions underscores the deep divide concerning the expression of faith. The divide exists, but that doesn't mean that we should be intimidated when it comes to publicly expressing who we are as Christians. And, we can disagree about our means of expression of faith without being divisive or provocative.
On this day before Independence Day, we can reflect on the rich Christian heritage that has been present throughout the history of our nation. There is evidence in the writings and the actions of those whom we call our Founding Fathers that a reliance on God was paramount in their lives, and we can see evidence of God's hand to sustain our nation. And, as our personal faith in Christ drives our public practice, we can be encouraged that the concept of religious freedom is foundational in the history of this nation. We can be motivated to be bold in our faith and compassionate in our countenance.
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