1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're so glad to have 3 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 2: you listening. I'm Lynette Kittle, and today's topic is a 4 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 2: call to be thankful for America on its two hundred 5 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 2: and fiftieth anniversary. We'll be right back after a brief 6 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 2: message from our sponsor. A call to be thankful for 7 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 2: America on its two hundred and fiftieth anniversary, written and 8 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 2: read by Lynette Kittle. Give praise to the Lord, proclaim 9 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 2: his name, Make known among the nations what he has done, 10 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 2: Psalm one five one. As America celebrates its two hundred 11 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 2: and fiftieth anniversary, we as citizens of America, have much 12 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:13,680 Speaker 2: to be thankful to God. History books, record and historical 13 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:18,960 Speaker 2: monuments stand honoring the Christians whom God led across the ocean, 14 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 2: who were seeking a land where they could freely and 15 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 2: openly serve Him. Those willing to leave all they had 16 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 2: behind and risk their lives to set sail for a 17 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 2: new world as the forerunners. The Pilgrim's Trek led them 18 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 2: to America, where they brought their deep spiritual convictions to 19 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 2: lay the groundwork and foundational biblical beliefs, truths that led 20 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 2: our founding fathers to base our declaration of independence on 21 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 2: godly principles and truths that have given us the right 22 00:01:55,800 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 2: to worship God freely and without reserve since their coming. 23 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 2: Without our founders humbling themselves before God, there would be 24 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 2: no America today. As American history records, prayer and fasting 25 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 2: were called by and practiced in America's founding and the 26 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 2: establishing of our nation, playing a major role in establishing 27 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 2: America by the first patriots who practice James four to 28 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 2: ten on a national level, humble yourselves before the Lord, 29 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 2: and he will lift you up. By our leaders, calling 30 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 2: our nation to humble itself before God in prayer and fasting, 31 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 2: our founders followed Second Chronicles seven fourteen, urging, if my 32 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 2: people who are called by my name will humble themselves 33 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 2: and pray and seek my face and turn from their 34 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 2: wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I 35 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 2: will forgive their sin and heal their land. By humbling 36 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 2: ourselves as a nation, our leaders seemed to understand what 37 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 2: Galatians five thirteen reminds us. You, my brothers and sisters, 38 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 2: were called to be free, but do not use your 39 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 2: freedom to indulge the flesh. Rather, serve one another humbly 40 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 2: in love. Even before the official establishment of the United States, 41 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 2: historical documents record how throughout the American Revolution, the Continental Congress, 42 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 2: in response to winning critical battles, the founders called for 43 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 2: national days of thanksgiving, asking colonists to express gratefulness to 44 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 2: God for his divine protection over the troops. After the 45 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 2: Declaration of Independence, national thankfulness continued, beginning in seventeen eighty nine, 46 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 2: with President George Washington giving the first first official United 47 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 2: States Thanksgiving Proclamation, issued, calling upon all Americans to demonstrate 48 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 2: gratitude to God for the end of the war and 49 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 2: the Constitution's successful ratification. President Washington said, whereas it is 50 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,720 Speaker 2: the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of 51 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 2: Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for 52 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 2: his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor. 53 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 2: Following Washington's example, Presidents John Adams and James Madison also 54 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 2: called for national days of thanksgiving during their presidential terms 55 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 2: as well. President Abraham Lincoln, on October third, eighteen sixty three, 56 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 2: in the midst of the Civil War, proclaimed the last 57 00:04:54,720 --> 00:05:00,160 Speaker 2: Thursday in November as a National Day of thanksgiving. The 58 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 2: United States is a living testament of God's faithfulness and 59 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 2: what happens when a nation is willing to humble itself 60 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 2: before God, recognizing his sovereignty over the earth, and to 61 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 2: nationally and publicly thank Him for his protection and provision 62 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:23,160 Speaker 2: to its leaders and people. As citizens of the USA, 63 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 2: we have much to be thankful to God for our 64 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 2: nation as we celebrate our two hundred and fiftieth anniversary. 65 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 2: Thankfulness to God for what He has done in America 66 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 2: through the faith of our founding fathers, who feared and 67 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 2: worshiped Him and laid a godly foundation for our land 68 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 2: based on biblical truth, and whose beliefs continue to this 69 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 2: day across our nation, intersecting faith and life. As our 70 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 2: nation celebrates its two hundred and fiftieth anniversary, ask God 71 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 2: to help you find reasons to be thankful for our country, 72 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:07,160 Speaker 2: for our godly heritage, and for their freedoms we still 73 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:12,599 Speaker 2: enjoy and experience today as well. Ask the Lord to 74 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:15,599 Speaker 2: move in the hearts of our people across our nation 75 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:19,480 Speaker 2: to encourage them to praise and thank Him for all 76 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 2: that He has done for us as a country. Further 77 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 2: reading a prayer to praise God for our nation. 78 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. 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