Psalm 33 - America’s 250th

Today is July 4, 2026 and it is America’s 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

I am proud to be an American and blessed to live in this nation. I am grateful for the freedom, safety, and opportunity that this nation has afforded me. Though our nation has only existed for 250 short years, it has become one of the greatest civilizations of all time.

That said, it is evident that our nation is not healthy. Our nation is experiencing a season of unrest and social discontent that is unique in its storied history. We are obviously not in a state of civil war like our nation experienced in 1861, but nonetheless the tension in the air is palpable. Every American feels the strain on our relationship to national identity. We all know something needs to change in our nation. 

Modern political movements like Make America Great Again, Occupy Wall Street, the Tea Party movement, and Justice Democrats, are all very different in ideology, yet show one common theme: Americans want drastic change. The names of these organizations alone paint the picture. Some think America’s greatness was in the past, and some believe it is still to come, but they all agree it is not presently.

The modern American zeitgeist, the spirit of the time, is that of desiring drastic societal change.

I’m going to pull a few verses out of Psalm 33 that illustrate our nation’s precarious situation:

4 For the word of the Lord is upright, and all His work is done in faithfulness. 

5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. 

10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. 

11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. 

The Lord’s word is declared upright, and all He does is in faithfulness. God is declared entirely just and morally good. All he does is done in faithfulness, never in vain. God loves righteousness and justice: righteousness is what pleases the Lord, and yet we see evil everywhere. He loves justice, yet injustice is pervasive throughout our nation and world. God is supreme over the thoughts or achievements of man. No amount of people, even acting in perfect coordination, no “tower of Babel”, can hold a candle to our Creator. 

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.

Proverbs 19:21

No nation, no man, no people can ever usurp God, and yet we increasingly try. His counsel and His will will remain far longer than even the greatest temple of man’s achievement. Nonetheless, our rebellion against our creator is unceasing. It is no wonder we see the “greatest country in the world”  buckling at the knees. We as a nation are trying to carry the weight of God’s authority; we are attempting a coup d’état. 

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.

Psalm 2:1-4 

We either worship or demonize leaders, we trust in political ideology to deliver us, and we make idols of the supposed utopias of the past and future. Meanwhile, our foot is on the gas, and the cliff is fast approaching. The spiritual and moral decline of our nation is the product of our rebellion against God. Scripture is overflowing with examples of nations and civilizations rebelling against God and incurring judgement. Nations rise, and nations fall. Are we not to heed the warnings? 

It’s easy to point a finger to Washington DC, Hollywood, corporations, universities, or even our neighbors, and see what is wrong with our country. Instead, Jesus calls us to examine ourselves in Matthew 7: “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” We have a personal responsibility that is greater than national success.

The bulk of partisan media consumed today serves only to recount the injustices our nation has inflicted and suffered, which induces outrage on the viewer. Although I have made much cultural commentary, I don’t intend to contribute to the list of grievances against our nation. 

Instead, I appeal to you, the reader, to pray for our people. Our nation is broken and has rejected our creator. I agree that we are on the verge of societal change, but I fear it is not for the better. We must individually turn to God, because in the end, Christ still reigns as King. In Him there is great hope, and I write today because I believe there is better for our nation and for the world when we turn to the Lord.

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Our national renewal begins with personal repentance.

The aforementioned Scriptural pattern of national judgement is often paired with a revival starting from a small remnant of faithful believers. Before we ask God to heal our nation and our world, we should ask Him to search our own hearts. I admit, I am a part of the problem with our nation, and I have judged others’ actions while simultaneously doing worse. We all need the grace that Jesus brings, and that grace can heal our nation.

We cannot save America with a political movement or another piece of legislation - only Jesus can revive a dead heart. Christ still saves sinners who come to Him in repentance. 

We will never have perfection or a utopia, but our hope has never rested in an earthly kingdom. Nations rise and fall, presidents come and go, cultures flourish and fade, but the kingdom of God cannot be shaken. Christ is still building His Church, still saving sinners, and still reigning over every nation. Whatever becomes of America, our confidence remains the same: Jesus Christ is Lord. 

As we celebrate our nation today, I encourage you to remember that our citizenship here is temporary. Our kingdom is elsewhere and is built on eternal hope. We are also to be citizens and stewards of the nation God has given us. Pray for our individual and national repentance and renewal. Pray for revival in our Church. Pray for wisdom and righteousness for our leaders. And ultimately, pray for God’s mercy upon us. Take heart in the hope that comes only from Christ, and pray that His will be done.

…be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.

1 Peter 1:3-4