“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.
- Mark 11:22
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
- Hebrews 11:4
“We admired his childlike simplicity, his freedom from guile and deceit, his staunch and sterling integrity, his kind and forgiving temper. But more sublime than any of all these, more holy and influential, more beautiful, and strong, and sustaining, was his abiding confidence in God. … This was his noblest virtue, his grandest principle-the secret alike of his strength, his patience, and his success; and this, it seems to me, after being near him steadily and with him often for more than four years, is the principle by which, more than by any other, ‘He being dead, yet speaketh.’ By this he speaks to his successor in office, and charges him to ‘have faith in God.’ But this he speaks to the members of his cabinet, the men with whom he counseled so often and was associated so long, and he charges them to ‘have faith in God.’ By this he speaks to the officers and men of our noble army and navy, and, as they stand at their posts of duty and peril, he charges them to ‘have faith in God.’ By this he speaks to all who occupy positions of influence and authority in these sad and troublous times, and he charges them all to ‘have faith in God.’ By this he speaks to this great people as they sit in sackcloth today and weep for him with a bitter wailing, and refuse to be comforted, and he charges them to ‘have faith in God.’ And by this he will speak through the ages and to all rulers and peoples in every land … have confidence in God.”
- Robert J. Morgan, 100 Bible Verses That Made America
In my recent trip to visit the grandchildren, the oldest of them went with me to Nashville, to sell used books and games. One of the books that I purchased in return was 100 Bible Verses That Made America by Robert J. Morgan. As we approach the 250th anniversary of the birth of the USA, I thought I would do a condensed mini-series on some of these verses, four posts per week for a few weeks – maybe not all 100 verses.
The quote from the book is a portion of the eulogy by Rev. Phineas Gurley. When Lincoln was president, he attended a Presbyterian church not far from the White House. He told people his reasons were the convenient location and he liked Gurley. Gurley did not talk politics. He preached the word of God.
So, when Lincoln was mortally wounded, it took no time at all for Gurley to be by his side, and he remained there until the next morning when Abraham Lincoln breathed his last.
Lincoln’s last words may have been tinged by Lincoln’s total loss of faith in humanity. They had just survived a war, brother against brother. Lincoln had such horrible generals in charge of the Army of the Potomac until Ulysses S. Grant took command, a known drunkard, but a good, sober leader during the war. Lincoln felt the war should not have taken as long as it did due to the leadership problems Lincoln encountered. And he was grieved over every life lost on both sides.
The Scriptures tell us to be subject to the authorities of the land, but the Scriptures also say to have faith in God. Those earthly authorities are human and can let you down.
So, it became simple to Lincoln at that point. Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s successor must have faith in God. The United States military leaders must have faith in God. Lincoln’s family must have faith in God.
We must have faith in God.
All other options lead to disappointment and eventually to ruin.
Only God can save us, even saving us from ourselves.
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory.
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