One Nation Underestimating God

According to the Pledge of Allegiance, the United States of America is "one nation under God." But do our daily actions show we really live under God's authority? Do we worship him in reverent fear? Do we trust and obey him, and depend daily on his protection and grace? Do we humble ourselves under God's mighty hand so that he will lift us up in due time (1 Peter 5:6)?

Sometimes we act more like a nation underestimating God.

We underestimate God's displeasure with sin. That's what happened in the prophet Malachi's day. People misused God's name, neglected God's Word, broke up families, neglected the needy, and skimped on their tithes and offerings—all while complaining that the Lord wasn't fair with them. God warned that he would hold them accountable: "I will come near to you for judgment" (Malachi 3:5).

We underestimate our need for God. In a prosperous nation like ours, it's tempting to think of ourselves as independent and self-sufficient. But we owe God thanks for every breath of air, every bite of food, every beat of our hearts, every glimpse of beauty, every taste of freedom. We owe him gratitude for his gracious invitation: "Return to me, and I will return to you" (Malachi 3:7).

We underestimate what God can do through us. Some of Malachi's contemporaries became discouraged and said, "It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements . . . ?" But the Lord promised his faithful remnant that their service would be worthwhile: "They will be mine," says the Lord Almighty, 'in the day when I make up my treasured possession'" (Malachi 3:14, 17).

If you're trying to make a positive difference, don't underestimate the significance of what you do. When young David tended sheep in the hills near Bethlehem, did he foresee how God was preparing him to lead a nation? Did the poor widow realize that the two tiny coins she gave to the temple treasury would still be remembered 2,000 years later? When Ananias went to Damascus to heal and baptize Saul of Tarsus, did he fully grasp the far-reaching magnitude of this new convert's reaching ministry? When Dorcas made clothes and gave them to the poor, did she realize people would still talk about her generosity centuries later?

Don't underestimate God. You won't always see the long-ranging effects when you teach a Bible study, help in the nursery, counsel and pray with a troubled friend, visit the sick, or open your home to teens. In the midst of the daily grind, it's easy to feel insignificant.

But the God who sees the big picture calls us his "treasured possession"—a "holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9). Wherever Christians take God seriously and serve him faithfully, there you find an outpost of light in a dark world. There you find a nation under God.