including the proclamation of His truth:
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Our lives are to built on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ. We are called and chosen by Him and brought into a relationship through which we can please Him, offering up, as verse 5 puts it, "spiritual sacrifices." As His representatives on the earth, Jesus is calling us to uphold His standards and to communicate with our words and our actions that He dwells within our hearts. We belong to Him, and we are called to, as verse 9 of the same chapter says, "proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light..."
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Psalm 105 gives some great instruction and encouragement for us as we seek to reflect God's light in the midst of the darkness we face:
1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!
3 Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
4 Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!
I believe there is a deep desire among some in leadership to reclaim the ideals and principles upon which this nations was founded. One of those is the Sheriff of Rutherford County, NC, who wanted to put "In God We Trust" decals on its patrol vehicles. The ChristianHeadlines.com website quotes a story from The Christian Post, which says that thanks to the funding of a local church, the sheriff's department will indeed be able to do that.
Sheriff Chris Francis did not have the money to provide the decals, but Pastor David Ledford of Fairview Baptist Church in Golden Valley offered to fund the decals for the 50 vehicles in the current fleet, as well as for any that may be added in the future.
The sheriff explained that the purpose of the decals is to show patriotism. He is quoted as saying, "I want to make sure that my deputy sheriffs know what 'In God We Trust' means. And how blessed we are to be citizens in America, to live in Western North Carolina and to be able to support our nation's motto."
In Texas, Governor Gregg Abbott has stated his support for law enforcement vehicles in Brewster County, TX displaying a cross with a thin blue line on their patrol vehicles, according to the NBCDFW.com website. Abbott sent a brief to Attorney General Ken Paxton recently saying he supports Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson’s decision to allow his officers to display such as cross.
Abbott said in his brief that the U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t prohibit public officials from recognizing their religion. He is quoted as saying, "To the contrary, the U.S. Supreme Court has long recognized the demographic and historical reality that Americans are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being."
An area district attorney had asked the state attorney general for an opinion on the cross.
And, The Blaze reported on Adrian Garcia, head of the Childress Police Department in Childress, TX, who rejected the Freedom from Religion Foundation's demand to remove "In God We Trust" from patrol vehicles.
The Christian Examiner reported that on the Childress Police Department Facebook page, Garcia has been posting photos of other Texas law enforcement vehicles with the decal.
Regarding Seagraves, he said, "How about this, that's good stuff right there. Good job Seagraves PD," after that city voted to put the decal on every law enforcement vehicle.
"Love it!" he said about a Hutchinson County sheriff's patrol vehicle sporting the nation's motto.
Sheriff's offices in Tennessee and Florida have also been sent demand letters from the atheist group. They too have refused to comply with the demand to remove the "In God We Trust" decals.
And, the Daily Home website has reported on the recent decision by the Sylacauga, AL City Council to allow "In God We Trust" to be displayed on their vehicles.
As I had mentioned earlier, I believe there is a move in our country to reclaim the Judeo-Christian principles upon which this nation was founded. "In God We Trust" continues to be our national motto, and it should proudly be displayed. And, I am thankful for public officials who are boldly proclaiming this deeply-held expression.
This can be motivational for each of us, and we can be challenged to reflect more about our history. The foundation and furtherance of our country is a direct reflection, I believe, on the hand of Almighty God. He continues to bless our nation, but if we expect His favor to continue, it's important that we reverse course and acknowledge His providence.
I also think it is key that law enforcement is leading the way in proclaiming trust in God. These are the people who protect us, and I think it is great that they are expressing their dependence on Almighty God. It can be gratifying when people pray for our protectors and affirm the significant role they play in our lives.
We can show our trust in God in so many ways, and in these troubled times, we can seek out ways to give Him glory. In the presence of God and in the name of Jesus, we can communicate hope to other people. Through our words, our worship, and our walk with the Lord, we testify to our dependence on Him - as a country, we certainly need to humble ourselves before Him.
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