President's Day

Psalm 33:8-15 “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth-- he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.”

Years ago, while attending an AT&A corporate annual meeting, I had the privilege to hear Coach John Wooden as our motivational speaker. One of the comments that Coach spoke of was the life-changing spiritual writings of one particular American. When asked who that person was, he replied: “Abraham Lincoln”. Being President’s Day, I thought that I’d give you a taste of our 16th President’s godly wisdom and faith that made him, arguably, our greatest President of all.
From the second inaugural address of Abraham Lincoln delivered on March 4, 1865: The Almighty has his own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh." If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through his appointed time, he now wills to remove, and that he gives to both North and South this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to him? Fondly do we hope--fervently do we pray--that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn by the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations.

Coach Wooden finished his motivational speech that day with these words, which I shall never forget: “I would give away all my public fame, all my undefeated basketball seasons, and all my National Championships at UCLA to see my name in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Amen to that!Happy President’s Day! Brian