Today our nation celebrates the Fourth of July, which marks the commitment of our forefathers to shake off the shackles of foreign tyranny and — with God’s help — to become an independent nation. We should thank God for their courage and sacrifice, and for their determination to build our nation on the foundation of moral and spiritual values found in the Bible.

Have we lost our way? Have we forgotten their vision of freedom and justice for all? Have we even given ourselves over to a new kind of tyranny — a tyranny of self-indulgence and materialism and immorality? I fear this may be the case. The Bible warns us against allowing ourselves to become “slaves of depravity — for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him” (2 Peter 2:19).

Does God care about our future as a nation? Yes, of course He does — just as He is concerned about us as individuals. He promises blessing to those who follow Him — but He also warns that judgment awaits any nation that ignores Him and refuses to walk in His ways of justice and mercy. The Bible says, “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

Pray for our nation and its leaders, that we may repent of our sins as a nation and seek instead to follow God’s will. And pray too for yourself, that regardless of what happens in our world, your faith and hope will be in Christ — and Christ alone.