Tomorrow is Independence Day, and so our focus this past week in Crisis Counsels has been on this passage in Psalm 33, which brings a relevant message for our nation –

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people God has chosen as his heritage. A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save. Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who revere him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; God is our help and shield.
Psalm 33:12,16–20

The passage concludes, “God is our help and shield.” The way this is phrased in the original Hebrew is, “Our help and our shield is He (God).” This puts particular accent on the concluding word, emphasizing that it is God who is our help and our defense against trouble. As we celebrate the Fourth of July tomorrow, it is good to keep in mind the real source of blessing for our nation. May we give God thanks for the freedom and prosperity we enjoy; and may we look to God – in the midst of these challenging times – as the One who is truly able to help and defend us.

Prayer – We lift to You, O God, our thanks and praise, for You are our help and our shield. Share on X

Join in Sunday worship, at the 8:30 (in-person) or the 9:30 or 10:30 (live-streamed) worship hours at live.kentmethodist.org. Our services this Sunday will include an Independence Day theme. Also keep in mind that on Sunday afternoon, July 5, at 3:00, we will be streaming a concert by Dawn Filler on organ and also Sarah Brosvic on piano which will include classical and patriotic music. Just go to our web site to connect.

About the Author

Dr. David A. Palmer has been the senior pastor at the United Methodist Church of Kent since 1995. He has a B.A. from Wittenberg University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Wooster, Ohio, he has served three other churches in east Ohio before coming to Kent. He and his wife, Mavis, have three children.