Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it.

Psalm 127:1

America was free. Now the nation could obey its special calling from God. This was His plan. From Columbus through the War of Independence, God had been establishing a nation that could live in obedience to His Son, the Lord Jesus. He was creating a fellowship of believers that could become a beacon of light in a world of spiritual darkness. This was a new drama in the history of mankind. God wanted this country to demonstrate how He intended for His children to live together under the Lordship of Christ.

But after the war, the United States did not act very united. Individual states feared losing their power and began to act like separate countries. They issued their own currency and taxed other states’ goods. Instead of following the Covenant Way, the newborn republic was gradually turning aside.

How would God make sure His plan continued? What would He do to make it possible for future generations to live the Covenant Way? And what does this mean for us today?

———

Many leaders of the new nation saw the problems and wanted to do something about them. One of these was George Washington, who was home at Mount Vernon.

Washington walked up the long brick path to the main house. A gentle breeze blew in from the Potomac River. He had just finished his early morning ride. As he passed the willows, he thought about how much he loved this place. He was glad to be home now. Yet, his mind could not stop thinking about America’s problems. And as he thought about it sadness filled his heart. The states are pulling away from each other, he thought. We’re not united at all. What did we fight for? What did we die for?

Washington stepped into his study and sat down at his desk. As he gazed out the window, he prayed: Lord, help us become one. Help us trust You. Help us live out the Covenant Way of our forefathers.

Washington pulled a sheet of paper from the drawer. He dipped his quill pen into an inkbottle and began to write another letter. He had begun a letter-writing campaign to the men who were in a position to shape opinion in America.

“The very fabric of our nation is being torn apart,” he wrote. “We must work together as a family. If we don’t, we’ll lose the freedoms we just fought and died for. Something must be done.”

That “something” turned out to be a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in May 1787. It was held in Independence Hall. After much debate, the delegates decided to write a constitution for the new country. For the first time in history, men had the opportunity to freely write a new constitution for their own representative government.

The delegates chose George Washington to be the President of the convention. Washington was God’s man for the job. The delegates argued constantly, and at times things got ugly when tempers flared. But the dignity of Washington’s presence preserved the meetings, and he kept everything under control. He directed the sessions but never entered the debates, and only shared his beliefs between the sessions. To many Americans, Washington symbolized the spirit of unity that was needed.

“We must have a central government that is strong enough to govern our nation,” some members argued.

“But the states must keep certain rights,” others countered.

“A state’s population should determine how many representatives it has,” demanded the people from the bigger states.

“No,” those from smaller states said. “That would give the larger states power over the smaller states. Each one should have the same number of representatives.”

On and on they went, but the convention was deadlocked and growing more bitter. Part of the New York delegation went home in disgust, and others were preparing to leave. But God once again had mercy on America. And this time He used eighty-one-year-old Benjamin Franklin.

The elder statesman rose to his feet. “At the beginning of the war,” he said calmly, “we prayed for divine protection. Our prayers were answered.

“I have lived a long time. The longer I live, the more I see that ‘God governs in the affairs of man.’ If a sparrow cannot fall without His notice, can an empire rise without His aid?”

Franklin wiped his glasses and continued talking. “The Bible assures us that, ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.’ We can only build our house in America with His help.

“I therefore move that from now on, we begin each session in prayer, asking for assistance and blessing from heaven.”

This speech marked the turning point. Nearly all of the delegates were Christians of one kind or another. Franklin strongly encouraged them to turn to God for His help. The delegates soon moved forward with the business of crafting a new constitution. They signed it on September 17, 1787.

“We, the people of the United States . . .” These words begin the oldest written constitution still in effect today. It set up a federal system of government which included a Federal government and separate state governments.

The United States Constitution is one of the most astounding documents ever written by man. For two hundred years it has withstood the test of time. Why does it work so well? One reason is that it was divinely inspired. A second is that it is the product of nearly two hundred years of Puritan political thought. Because the Puritans understood human selfishness, they believed that government should be set up to prevent any one person or group of persons from controlling everyone else. The Constitution accomplishes this by dividing the power of the Federal government between three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. By calling for Americans to care for each other, the Constitution enables them to continue to live the Covenant Way.

On April 30, 1789, George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the Untied States. He requested that a Bible be brought, and then stepped onto the balcony of Federal Hall in New York. Placing his hand on the Bible, he took the oath of office. A great cheer went up from the crowd as church bells rang and cannons boomed.

The new President went inside to deliver his inaugural address to Congress.

“I must express my gratitude to the Almighty,” he said. “No people can acknowledge the invisible hand of God more than the people of the United States. Every step toward independence was protected by His hand. Let us remember that the smiles of Heaven will continue on a nation only when it heeds the eternal rules of right and order.”

———

“America, America, God shed His grace on thee . . .”

From the beginning, God has abundantly answered this nineteenth-century prayer we sing so often. There is no way to measure how much of God’s grace is poured out on this nation as a result of the obedience of the earliest Christians. But now, the grace seems to be lifting. It is time to heed the warning signs.

The signs are many. They extend from changing weather patterns to violence and drugs. They include incurable diseases and depressed economic times. The list goes on, but it is important only when we realize that it is God’s way of getting our attention.

For a whole nation to return to the Covenant Way seems impossible. But it has been done before. We have the biblical example of Nineveh to prove it. Nineveh was the biggest and most powerful city of its age. God was about to destroy it, but He gave it one last chance through the prophet Jonah. Nineveh repented, and the entire city was spared. Today God is calling Christians everywhere to repent:

If My People, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

That verse calls us to humble ourselves and to turn away from all the wrong things in our hearts and in our lives.

How do we do that? By following Jesus each and every day. To do that that we must first accept the fact that He loves us and died on Calvary’s cross to pay the price for our sins. When we take Jesus into our hearts as our Lord and Savior, God forgives us and we become His children. Then we can live each day by listening inside for His still, small voice to guide us.

Why is this so important? First, so that we can be faithful disciples of Jesus. Second, so that we can care for other people. God promises blessings to those who live in obedience to Him.

But these blessings are not just for individuals; they are also given to whole countries. A country can only be moral and just if its people are moral and just.

Today God is calling us to renew our covenant commitment to Him and to one another. If each one of us does this, we will be filled with the Light of Christ. And then, when enough of us are joined with others who show forth the Light of Christ, we can together become a blaze of His light and His glory . . . for all the world to see.