“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
- Matthew 13:45-46
“William McKinley’s most amazing hour was the moment of his greatest danger: July 24, 1864, during the Civil War. He was a 21-year-old first lieutenant wearing blue, and he was ordered to ride through a hail of bullets on a suicide mission. He and his ‘little brown horse’ sprinted, leaped, and dove over the battlefield amid bullet sprays and exploding shells, emerging to everyone’s shock through the smoke, having completed the task. His commanding officer, Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes, told him, ‘I never expected to see you in life again.’ Neither man could have imagined they were both speaking to a future president of the United States.”
- 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 author talks about how McKinley had come to love the Lord when he attended a revival meeting at the Methodist church. His mother had been much like my mother. It was said of her that she did everything at the church except preach. When he accepted Jesus, he admitted to being a prodigal and he felt the best way to live one’s life was through Jesus. A few days later, he gave his testimony, announcing to the entire congregation that he had found the pearl of great price.
The author spent most of the chapter speaking of how the Philippines had called the USA into the battle against the Spanish during the Spanish-American War, and how McKinley made his decisions based on his spending time on his knees in prayer.
But the author also told of how an opponent to the president snuck into the church where McKinley attended in Washington, DC. He wanted to show how McKinley attending church was a political stunt. But he noted that McKinley sang the hymns with great gusto, and when it came time to have communion, McKinley went to the altar to pray. And he was crying as he took communion.
The political opponent reported of this bit of spying that with someone who trusted in God with such conviction, the country was not going so badly.
The chapter was titled, “A President Like That.” And we have had many since, but several that fell far short of that. We do not need just a president like that, but a revival within the nation. And that starts with getting on our knees in prayer to determine what to do.
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory.
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