Psalm 16:5-6 “The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.”
Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.”
Pastor Otto Seymour wrote the following during World War II, and his thoughts still powerfully apply today (from “Strength for Service”):
“When it comes to riches and marvels of native land, when it comes to benefits and blessings, when it comes to rights and privileges, and when it comes to opportunities and possibilities, we, the people of these United States, have a goodly heritage – something we are in danger of forgetting, unless we remind ourselves of it from time to time, especially in view of the fact that there are some among us who are always finding fault with our country. We would be wiser and better citizens if we would spend more time in evidencing our appreciation of what we have, and less time in complaining about what we do not have.
We have a goodly heritage geographically, vast oceans removing us from the rest of the world; a goodly heritage industrially, possessing abundant natural resources and productive factories; a goodly heritage racially, being a combination of many races and nationalities; a goodly heritage politically, being a democratic people with a democratic form of government; a goodly heritage culturally, knowing the value of good books, the fine arts, and good manners; and a goodly heritage spiritually, consisting of courage and faith and fortitude.”
Pastor Seymour went on to remind his readers that “our goodly heritage deserves the best defense we can accord it:” politically, industrially, morally, and spiritually.
None of his words imply that we are perfect and not in need of improvement in a multitude of ways. But, they are a reminder of the necessity of an overarching spirit of gratitude and an appreciation for the many blessings in our lives, in our communities, and in our great nation. And, they provide a powerful charge for all of us to stand strong for the good that we have and to engage passionately for the areas that we know need improvement.
PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO PROVIDE THE BEST DEFENSE OF OUR GOODLY HERITAGE. May we all spend more time in evidencing our appreciation of what we have, and less time in complaining about what we do not have.
